orientation

[ awr-ee-uh n-tey-shuh n, -en-, ohr- ]

/ ˌɔr i ənˈteɪ ʃən, -ɛn-, ˌoʊr- /

noun

the act or process of orienting.

the state of being oriented.

an introduction, as to guide one in adjusting to new surroundings, employment, activity, or the like: New employees receive two days of orientation.

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

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

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

Chemistry.

the relative positions of certain atoms or groups, especially in aromatic compounds.
the determination of the position of substituted atoms or groups in a compound.

QUIZZES

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Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

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Origin of orientation

First recorded in 1830–40; orientate + -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM orientation

o·ri·en·ta·tive, adjectivenon·o·ri·en·ta·tion, noun

Words nearby orientation

oriental topaz, orientalia, orientalism, orientalize, orientate, orientation, oriente, orienteer, orienteering, orienting reflex, orienting response

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for orientative

orientation

/ (ˌɔːrɪɛnˈteɪʃən) /

noun

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

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

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

Also called: orientation course mainly US and Canadian

a course, programme, lecture, etc, introducing a new situation or environment
(as modifier)an orientation talk

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

basic beliefs or preferencessexual orientation

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

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

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

Derived forms of orientation

orientational, adjective

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

Medical definitions for orientative

orientation

[ ôr′ē-ən-tā′shən ]

n.

The act of orienting or the state of being oriented.

Location or position relative to the points of the compass.

The relative position of one atom with respect to another to which it is connected.

Sexual orientation.

Introductory instruction concerning a new situation.

Awareness of the objective world in relation to one's self.