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
2
a
: a usually general or lasting direction of thought, inclination, or interest
… the fundamentally human orientation of Greek art …—
Bruce Cole
Bruce ColeThis 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.
orientationally
adverb
Synonyms of orientation
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
Ford Field, Detroit Capacity 65,000 With its square-ish shaped lower seating bowl and downtown location, Ford Field would’ve been an ideal World Cup venue, both from the perspective of field orientation and fan experience.
—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
Schultz was wrong about the orientation in which the fetal head of different primates moved through the birth canal.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
29 June 2026
Intel, for its part, uses a different crystal orientation of silicon for the top and bottom transistor, because one orientation makes faster PFETs and the other makes faster NFETs.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
25 June 2026
That complaint basically alleges that Amazon violated a local ordinance barring corporations from discriminating against employees on the basis of political orientation, among other things.
—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for orientation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
Schultz was wrong about the orientation in which the fetal head of different primates moved through the birth canal.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
29 June 2026
Intel, for its part, uses a different crystal orientation of silicon for the top and bottom transistor, because one orientation makes faster PFETs and the other makes faster NFETs.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
25 June 2026
That complaint basically alleges that Amazon violated a local ordinance barring corporations from discriminating against employees on the basis of political orientation, among other things.
—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for orientation
Cite this Entry
“Orientation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orientation. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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-
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
