orientation

noun

ori·​en·​ta·​tion ˌȯr-ē-ən-ˈtā-shən 

-ˌen-

plural orientations

1

a

: the act or process of orienting or of being oriented

These materials are for the orientation of new employees.

b

: the state of being oriented

the orientation of the main altar of the church

broadly : arrangement, alignment

the orientation of molecules

2

a

: a usually general or lasting direction of thought, inclination, or interest

the fundamentally human orientation of Greek art

—Bruce Cole

This company has a decidedly conservative orientation.

b

: a person's sexual identity or self-identification as bisexual, straight, gay, lesbian, pansexual, etc. : the state of being bisexual, straight, gay, lesbian, pansexual, etc. : sexual orientation

3

: change of position by organs, organelles, or organisms in response to external stimulus

The plant's orientation is toward light.

orientational

ˌȯr-ē-ən-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl 

-ˌen-

adjective

orientationally adverb

Synonyms

• aspect
• exposure
• frontage

Examples of orientation in a Sentence

These materials are used for the orientation of new employees.

They identified as bisexual in orientation.

The organization has a decidedly conservative orientation.

Her later works were more introspective in orientation.

New students need to go through a short orientation before they begin classes.

Recent Examples on the Web

This is because Neptune’s magnetic field has an odd orientation, which Voyager 2 revealed is tilted by 47 degrees relative to the planet’s axis of rotation. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025

Pageant orientation: Young women ages 14 to 21 who live, attend or attended high school within Poway Unified School District boundaries can learn about entering the Miss Rancho Bernardo/Miss Teen RB scholarship pageants during a 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 6 orientation meeting. —Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025

The Zillion Direct’s slot panel is rectangular, and the plug is designed to fill the gap that’s created whenever a builder rotates the panel to enable a vertical graphics card orientation. —PCMAG, 15 Mar. 2025

According to this theory, traditional notions of masculinity are associated with the pursuit of goals, competition and personal achievement, while femininity is associated with affiliative goals, social orientation, and a desire for connection. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing orientation

• freshman orientation
• sexual orientation

Rhymes for orientation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

orientation

noun

ori·​en·​ta·​tion ˌōr-ē-ən-ˈtā-shən 

ˌȯr-ē-ˌen-

1

a

: the act or process of orienting or of being oriented

b

: the state of being oriented

2

a

: a usually general or lasting direction of thought, inclination, or interest

b

: a person's sexual identity or self-identification

bisexual in orientation

3

: change of position by a cell or organism or by one of their parts in response to outside stimulus

Medical Definition

orientation

noun

ori·​en·​ta·​tion ˌōr-ē-ən-ˈtā-shən, ˌȯr-, -ˌen- 

1

a

: the act or process of orienting or of being oriented

b

: the state of being oriented

2

: a usually general or lasting direction of thought, inclination, or interest see sexual orientation

3

: change of position by organs, organelles, or organisms in response to external stimulus

4

: awareness of the existing situation with reference to time, place, and identity of persons

psychological orientation

orientational

-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl 

adjective

orientationally

-ē 

adverb