orientation

noun

ori·en·ta·tion | \ ˌȯr-ē-ən-ˈtā-shən

, -ˌen-\

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 sexual identity or self-identification as bisexual, heterosexual, homosexual, pansexual, etc. : the state of being bisexual, heterosexual, homosexual, pansexual, etc. : sexual orientation

3 : change of position by organs, organelles, or organisms in response to external stimulus The plant's orientation is toward light.

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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 on the Web

The viewer is required not only to look down, but also to change orientation, as if wheeling or turning in a helicopter. — Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "Cuyahoga 50 photo shows uncover fresh takes on the recovery of a once combustible river," 30 June 2019 This pattern is then transmitted to a variety of neurons in the retina that specifically respond to certain colors, shapes, orientations, movements or contrasts. — Tim Vernimmen, Smithsonian, "Our Eyes Are Always Darting Around, So How Come Our Vision Isn’t Blurry?," 14 June 2019 Sunder: Conflict-solving, emotional intelligence, service orientation, and cognitive flexibility are some of the skills that are going to be important for us in the future. — Diksha Madhok, Quartz India, "Silicon Valley CEOs? Swiggy feels made-in-India managers will deliver better," 12 June 2019 After her son’s freshman orientation at the University of Southern California last summer, Elisabeth Kimmel began to worry. — Brian Costa, WSJ, "At USC, Admissions Cheating Scandal Runs Deeper," 13 Mar. 2019 Ocasio-Cortez, taking a break from orientation, stopped by to rally them and show her support. — David Roberts, Vox, "The Green New Deal, explained," 21 Dec. 2018 Construction in and around the campus prevented us from holding student orientation, which is typically accompanied by a fashion show that demonstrates what to wear, and what not to wear. — Janine Puhak, Fox News, "Texas high school principal apologizes after 'sexist' dress code video goes viral," 18 Aug. 2018 Picture the moon's orbit as a coin held at a slope and remaining in the same orientation as it is carried all the way around the sun. — Joe Rao, Space.com, "Friday the 13th Eclipse Visible to Lucky Few," 11 July 2018 Some neurons in the visual cortex, for instance, respond to the edges of objects in view; others fire to indicate the objects’ orientation, coloring or shading. — Quanta Magazine, "To Make Sense of the Present, Brains May Predict the Future," 10 July 2018

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.