orientation

American  

[awr-ee-uhn-tey-shuhn, -en-, ohr-] / ˌɔr i ənˈteɪ ʃən, -ɛn-, ˌoʊr- /

noun

• orientations
  plural

1. the act or process of orienting.

2. the state of being oriented.

3. an introduction, as to guide one in adjusting to new surroundings, employment, activity, or the like.

   New employees receive two days of orientation.

4. Psychology, Psychiatry. the ability to locate oneself in one's environment with reference to time, place, and people.

5. one's position in relation to true north, to points on the compass, or to a specific place or object.

6. the ascertainment of one's true position, as in a novel situation, with respect to attitudes, judgments, etc.

7. Chemistry.

   1. the relative positions of certain atoms or groups, especially in aromatic compounds.

   2. the determination of the position of substituted atoms or groups in a compound.

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orientation British  

/ ˌɔːrɪɛnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of orienting or the state of being oriented

2. position or positioning with relation to the points of the compass or other specific directions

3. the adjustment or alignment of oneself or one's ideas to surroundings or circumstances

4. Also called: orientation course. 

   1. a course, programme, lecture, etc, introducing a new situation or environment

   2. ( as modifier )

      an orientation talk

5. psychol the knowledge of one's own temporal, social, and practical circumstances in life

6. basic beliefs or preferences

   sexual orientation

7. biology the change in position of the whole or part of an organism in response to a stimulus, such as light

8. chem the relative dispositions of atoms, ions, or groups in molecules or crystals

9. the siting of a church on an east-west axis, usually with the altar at the E end

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonorientation
  noun
• orientational
  adjective
• orientative
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• orientations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of orientation

First recorded in 1830–40; orientate + -ion

Explanation

Orientation is all about the direction you're facing. A house can have an east-facing orientation. Freshman orientation starts you off in a good direction. Your political orientation means your political outlook. Orientation is a relatively new word that was derived in the 19th century from orient, which means to point yourself in a specific direction. Hiking with a map and a compass is sometimes called orienteering, referring to hikers' use of those tools to orient themselves.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

orientation orientations

They recorded the position and orientation of each body, along with its relationship to the chamber's architectural features.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

The December 2024 collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime sharply changed the regional orientation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Virginia, Ginsburg’s opinion for the court explaining the Constitution’s guarantees against sex discrimination—which judges apply in cases of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as well.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

He was supposed to be at freshman orientation but didn’t have a way to get from the Bay Area down to San Diego.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

He would undress and get into the water with the boys, and his mysterious sense of orientation would allow him to avoid the deep and dangerous spots.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"The Fifa World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds. Fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events," it said in a statement.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

Well-known examples include ferromagnets, which switch between opposite magnetic orientations, and ferroelectrics, which can hold opposing electric polarizations.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 21, 2025

The VSM model describes systems at five levels: The first three dealing with things as they are, the fourth deals with future possibilities and the fifth deals with the tensions between those orientations.

From Salon ● May 10, 2025

You can sign up for English orientations here and Spanish orientations here.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2025

Axis orientations affected the rate of spread of crops and livestock, and possibly also of writing, wheels, and other inventions.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• direction
• location