Definition of orientation
1a : the act or process of orienting or of being oriented These materials are for the orientation of new employees.b : the state of being oriented the orientation of the main altar of the church; broadly : arrangement, alignment the orientation of molecules
2a : a usually general or lasting direction of thought, inclination, or interest the fundamentally human orientation of Greek art — Bruce Cole This company has a decidedly conservative orientation.b : a person's self-identification as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual sexual orientation
3 : change of position by organs, organelles, or organisms in response to external stimulus The plant's orientation is toward light.
orientationally
adverbRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of orientation in a Sentence
patients identifying themselves as homosexual or bisexual in orientation
He makes no secret of his orientation.
The organization has a decidedly conservative orientation.
Her later works were more introspective in orientation.
These materials are used for the orientation of new employees.
New students need to go through a short orientation before they begin classes.
Recent Examples of orientation from the Web
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When those stars die, their corpses continue that dance, often resulting in a pair of black holes with similar spins and orientations.
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Without a home track, Sullivan's program had a distance orientation at first.
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Volunteers must complete an application, volunteer for two (2) days and attend orientation.
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But the initial week-long orientation that new officers receive doesn’t prepare them for such assaults.
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New students will be required to go to a 30-minute parking presentation as part of their orientation in the fall.
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The pro-Saudi orientation is a traditional Republican approach, reversing the Obama administration's effort to find a more neutral path that might lead to better relations with the Iranians.
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Any two people regardless of gender, orientation, or even height can assume either position.
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The seven-inch screen seems like a great idea — for some, the iPad is too big — but the 16:9 ratio is a little odd for a device that can be used in portrait orientation.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orientation'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of orientation
1839
ORIENTATION Defined for English Language Learners
orientation
playDefinition of orientation for English Language Learners
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: a person's feelings, interests, and beliefs
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: a main interest, quality, or goal
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: the process of giving people training and information about a new job, situation, etc.
Medical Dictionary
orientation
playMedical Definition of orientation
1a: the act or process of orienting or of being orientedb: the state of being oriented
2: a usually general or lasting direction of thought, inclination, or interest—see sexual orientation
3: change of position by organs, organelles, or organisms in response to external stimulus
4: awareness of the existing situation with reference to time, place, and identity of persons psychological orientation
Learn More about orientation
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See words that rhyme with orientation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for orientation Spanish Central: Translation of orientation Nglish: Translation of orientation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of orientation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about orientation
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