reorient

verb

re·​ori·​ent (ˌ)rē-ˈȯr-ē-ˌent 

reoriented; reorienting

transitive verb

: to orient (someone or something) again or differently: such as

a

: to change the orientation or direction of (something or someone)

reorient the antenna

reoriented herself so she was facing north

b

: to reacquaint (someone, especially oneself) with a situation, environment, etc.

woke up and reoriented myself to my surroundings

… returning servicewomen and men struggling to reorient themselves to civilian life.

—Molly Callahan

c

: to change the goal or emphasis of (something or someone)

… I stumbled into motherhood and was bewildered at … the volte-face required to reorient myself, my values and my way of life …

—Madeleine Bunting

… lacks nearly every resource necessary to reorient its archaic industrial economy …

—David Remnick

The long-term potential of vast databases of genomic data to … reorient the debate on medical priorities …

—Larry Downes and Paul Nunes

also : to direct (something) toward the interests of a different group

… reorienting its policy priorities to the working class.

—Franklin Foer

reorientation

(ˌ)rē-ˌȯr-ē-ən-ˈtā-shən 

-ˌen-

noun

plural reorientations

Many soldiers also find blogging a useful way to help deal with reorientation to civilian life …

—Brad Knickerbocker

Examples of reorient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trade with China is booming as Russia reorients its economy away from markets in Europe. —Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 18 Mar. 2024

In the 1990s, the FAA began to reorient its safety programs around the idea that anyone in aviation—manufacturers, manufacturing line workers, air traffic controllers, pilots, crew members, maintenance people—should be able to report on their own mistakes without facing career-ending repercussions. —Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2024

After an initial deceleration at 15 kilometers above the surface, the lander will reorient itself to a vertical position when two kilometers up. —IEEE Spectrum, 20 Mar. 2024

In a single hand, humans can easily hold and manipulate objects, even small and delicate ones, while adjusting our fingers to their shape and reorienting them with displacements of our fingertip pads. —Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024

Its backers, including Renner, say the bill is about reorienting Florida’s energy priorities to put affordability first. —Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024

Fortunately, his wife was often present to reassure and reorient him. —Judy Stone, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

By identifying any needs for additional rocks or soil to create high spots, or additional channels created to reorient a more natural flow of water, the land will tell you when something is not working. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024

The company expressed optimism when controllers succeeded in reorienting the craft so that its solar panels could recharge its battery. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above