orientation

noun

ori·​en·​ta·​tion ˌȯr-ē-ən-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce orientation (audio)
-ˌen-
plural orientations
1
a
: 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
2
a
: a usually general or lasting direction of thought, inclination, or interest
the fundamentally human orientation of Greek artBruce Cole
This company has a decidedly conservative orientation.
b
: a person's sexual identity or self-identification as bisexual, straight, gay, lesbian, pansexual, etc. : the state of being bisexual, straight, gay, lesbian, 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.
orientational adjective
orientationally adverb

Examples of orientation in a Sentence

These materials are used for the orientation of new employees. They identified as bisexual in orientation. The organization has a decidedly conservative orientation. Her later works were more introspective in orientation. New students need to go through a short orientation before they begin classes.
Recent Examples on the Web Inflation is a big issue that splits along party lines Inflation has emerged as the top economic issue for Americans, according to a new survey in which 41% of respondents ranked it at the top, but with respondents split sharply according to their political orientation. Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2024 And many Black and Hispanic voters may not have been far to the left or the right in 2012 ideological terms, but were very sympathetic to that basic populist orientation of the Democratic Party. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024 Place cloves with the pointed end up and flat tip down, which is the same orientation they are positioned in on the bulb. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2024 When two particles are strongly entangled, measuring their orientations will reveal them to always point in opposite directions. Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for orientation 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orientation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of orientation was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near orientation

Cite this Entry

“Orientation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orientation. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

orientation

noun
ori·​en·​ta·​tion ˌōr-ē-ən-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce orientation (audio)
ˌȯr-ē-ˌen-
1
a
: the act or process of orienting or of being oriented
b
: the state of being oriented
2
a
: a usually general or lasting direction of thought, inclination, or interest
b
: a person's sexual identity or self-identification
bisexual in orientation
3
: change of position by a cell or organism or by one of their parts in response to outside stimulus

Medical Definition

orientation

noun
ori·​en·​ta·​tion ˌōr-ē-ən-ˈtā-shən, ˌȯr-, -ˌen- How to pronounce orientation (audio)
1
a
: the act or process of orienting or of being oriented
b
: 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
orientational adjective
orientationally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on orientation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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