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disorientate

[dis-awr-ee-uh n-teyt, -ohr-]
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verb (used with object), dis·o·ri·en·tat·ed, dis·o·ri·en·tat·ing.
  1. to disorient.
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Origin of disorientate

First recorded in 1695–1705; dis-1 + orientate
Related formsdis·o·ri·en·ta·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for disorientation

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • The sense of disorientation set up by the tractors was subsiding.

    Alarm Clock

    Everett B. Cole

  • This morning, however, the sense of disorientation did not pass with full wakefulness.

    Monkey On His Back

    Charles V. De Vet

  • There was an elusive sense of disorientation, a feeling of something overlooked.

    The Short Life

    Francis Donovan

  • The feeling of disorientation and foreignness was new to Perry.

    Makers

    Cory Doctorow

  • Disorientation is a state of mental confusion as to time, place, or identity.

British Dictionary definitions for disorientation

disorientate

disorient

verb (tr)
  1. to cause (someone) to lose his bearings
  2. to perplex; confuse
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Derived Formsdisorientation, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for disorientation

n.

1860; see dis- + orientation.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
disorientation in Medicine

disorientation

(dĭs-ôr′ē-ĕn-tā′shən)
n.
  1. Loss of one's sense of direction, position, or relationship with one's surroundings.
  2. A temporary or permanent state of confusion regarding place, time, or personal identity.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.