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
adverbPeople Are Reading
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
-
The party’s ideological orientation has barely changed.
-
OCEANSIDE New charter school offers orientation Classical Academies will be opening Coastal Academy High School in Oceanside in August 2017 to serve students in grades 9-12.
-
Last Friday, the first few volunteers began orientation at Miami Valley Hospital's NICU.
-
A 45-minute volunteer orientation will be on July 16 at 4 p.m. at the Vaughan Athletic Center.
-
This subtle orientation can persist even among middle-class descendants of the working-class ancestors who instilled it.
-
A little more than a month before the start of fall camp, Washington coach Chris Petersen over the weekend welcomed onto campus the Huskies’ 2017 recruiting class, which is beginning its summer orientation program.
-
The next volunteer orientation takes place July 12, and more information is available on the shelter's Facebook page and its website, www.porterco.org/pcas.
-
The disability community is one of the only communities that anyone can join at any point in their life, regardless of race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and body.
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
-
: a person's feelings, interests, and beliefs
-
: a main interest, quality, or goal
-
: 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
-
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
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up orientation? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!