reorientation

American  

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

noun

1. the act or state of reorienting or of being reoriented.

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Etymology

Origin of reorientation

First recorded in 1915–20; re- + orientation

Explanation

Reorientation is the act of figuring out again where you are in relationship to your environment, or changing direction. If you're lost in the woods, a compass and map are good for reorientation. Reorientation is often related to location: figuring out where you are and pointing yourself in the right direction. A football player who gets spun around on the field may need a quick reorientation so he doesn't run the wrong way. But reorientation is also about rethinking, and maybe changing, the way you approach something, like an idea or a project.

Example Sentences

Russia’s reorientation is extreme, but Moscow isn’t alone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

The team led by Prof. Dr. Tomasz Smoleński at the University of Basel and Prof. Dr. Ataç Imamoğlu at ETH Zurich achieved this reorientation using only light, without raising the temperature.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

In a country where “consumption downgrade” has become a buzzword, the rise of spiritual consumption represents not withdrawal but reorientation.

From Barron's • Nov. 1, 2025

But Barkin said that would mean “a tremendous urban redesign. It would require massive urban reorientation of people — and huge investments.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2024

It could have been reorientation or it could have been Catherine's real self.

From Highways in Hiding by Smith, George Oliver