orient
noun
ori·ent
| \ ˈȯr-ē-ənt
, -ē-ˌent\
, -ē-ˌent\
Definition of orient
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
capitalized
: regions or countries lying to the east of a specified or implied point : the eastern regions or countries of the world : east sense 2
—formerly understood to include regions (such as the Middle East) lying to the east and southeast of southern Europe but now usually understood to refer to regions and countries of eastern Asia
sailed for the Orient
3a
: a pearl of great luster
b
: the luster of a pearl
orient
adjectiveDefinition of orient (Entry 2 of 3)
3
archaic
: rising in the sky
orient
verb
ori·ent
| \ ˈȯr-ē-ˌent
\
\
oriented;
orienting;
orients
Definition of orient (Entry 3 of 3)
1a
: to cause to face or point toward the east
specifically
: to build (a church or temple) with the longitudinal axis pointing eastward and the chief altar at the eastern end
b
: to set or arrange in any determinate position especially in relation to the points of the compass
c
: to ascertain the bearings of
2a
: to set right by adjusting to facts or principles
b
: to acquaint with the existing situation or environment
3
: to direct (something, such as a book or film) toward the interests of a particular group
4
: to cause the axes of the molecules of (a fiber or material) to assume the same direction
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Synonyms for orient
Synonyms: Verb
accustom, acquaint, familiarize, initiate, introduce, orientate
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Examples of orient in a Sentence
Verb
The program is intended to orient students toward a career in medicine. Orient the map so that north is at the top. The house is oriented so that it faces west.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Drawings are never easy to present to the public, but the video orients visitors who know the fresco. — Cammy Brothers, WSJ, "Taking Shape Before Our Eyes," 14 June 2019 The culture of the political press orients individual practitioners toward their professional peers, rather than towards the users, or even towards the news. — Ezra Klein, Vox, "Is the media making American politics worse?," 22 Oct. 2018 Paul Resnikoff, the publisher of Digital Music News, thinks Apple will keep the app going, but re-orient to send consumers to Apple Music. — Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY, "What Apple is likely to do with Shazam, the early name-that-tune iPhone app," 11 Dec. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
If fuel can't power the thrusters that make sure both probes orient their antennae toward Earth, engineers wouldn't be able to receive data or communicate with the probes. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "NASA's plan to keep the Voyager spacecraft awake and flying," 10 July 2019 Aside from a brief introductory text, there is little information about either Mr. Viola or the works to orient viewers. — Emily Bobrow, WSJ, "‘I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like: The Art of Bill Viola’ Review: Spirituality in an Age of Irony," 9 July 2019 The bats swirl, orient, and then form a river of life in the sky. — National Geographic, "10 unforgettable animal-watching adventures," 21 June 2019 The pair also orient the spacecraft to take advantages of the pressure generated by solar radiation, which can counteract some of the unwanted motion, Young says. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "How a Small CubeSat Became the Unlikely Hero of the InSight Landing," 29 Nov. 2018 But, to really change how people orient to others takes a long time. — Katherine Nails, Philly.com, "Consumers, coffee shops see changes after Starbucks incidents - but will they last?," 10 July 2018 This generates what Apple calls a world map, which can be used to position and orient objects, apply lighting and shadows to them, and much more. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "How ARKit 2 works, and why Apple is so focused on AR," 16 June 2018 They are also directed by apps released for iPhone and Android devices, and a website with all relevant Jewish tourist information, set up to orient visitors. — Dovid Margolin, Jewish Journal, "They came for the World Cup and stayed for Shabbat," 28 June 2018 For pieces of wood that are long and slender, such as a 2 by 12, orient the lumber with its edge against the force. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "15 Things My Father Taught Me," 17 June 2016Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The investment in one-day shipping is a quintessential Amazon undertaking: expensive, audacious, and relentlessly customer-oriented. — Alison Griswold, Quartz, "Amazon is unapologetically spending money on one-day shipping," 26 July 2019 Moving across the terrain, slight changes in slope or how the mountainside is oriented towards the sun can create drastically different conditions. — National Geographic, "Avalanches, explained," 19 July 2019 Fans can only hope that the new youth oriented policy in 2019 marks a permanent positive change. — SI.com, "On This Day in 2013: Ed Woodward Left Man Utd Tour for Mystery 'Urgent Transfer Business'," 17 July 2019 Friends and loved ones described him as caring and community oriented. — Freep.com, "This top cop ripped apart a Michigan town," 17 July 2019 Schellhammer and his friend were artistically oriented. — Lyndi Mcnulty, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "An Eye for Art: Photographer Robert Schellhammer likes ‘to bring out the beauty of things’," 17 July 2019 The mission trips oriented her toward helping others in developing countries. — Emanuella Grinberg, CNN, "A former UK officer was convicted of rape on a Tinder date, but his victim says trauma is a 'life sentence'," 13 July 2019 That appeal is centrally oriented around Berninger, whose dark humor and melancholy baritone can erupt into harsh, electric yells and eccentric, borderline unhinged body language on stage. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Summerfest 2019: The National, Tori Kelly and more of the best and worst from the side stages on Day 5," 1 July 2019 Your fellow employees hold a wide range of opinions and perspectives and Wayfair, as a mass-market brand, is oriented to serve a broad and diverse customer base. — Cheryl Wischhover, Vox, "Wayfair employees protest alleged sale of furniture for border detention facility," 27 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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