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Orientation: meaning, definitions and examples

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orientation

 

[ ˌɔːriənˈteɪʃən ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

direction

Orientation refers to a person's beliefs, feelings, and values with respect to a specific topic or situation. It can also refer to the process of familiarizing oneself with a new environment or situation.

Synonyms

alignment, attitude, positioning

Examples of usage

  • He has a strong orientation towards environmental conservation.
  • The orientation of the building allows for maximum sunlight exposure.
  • Our team will provide you with an orientation to the new software.
Context #2 | Noun

education

Orientation in the context of education refers to the process of introducing new students to a school or college. It includes information about facilities, services, and academic expectations.

Synonyms

induction, initiation, introduction

Examples of usage

  • The orientation session helped new students get acquainted with the campus.
  • Attending orientation is important to understand the school's policies.
Context #3 | Noun

geography

In geography, orientation is the relative physical positioning of something in relation to the points of a compass (north, south, east, west). It is crucial for navigation and understanding spatial relationships.

Synonyms

bearing, direction, position

Examples of usage

  • The map provides a clear orientation of the city streets.
  • Knowing the orientation of the mountains helped us find our way.

Translations

Translations of the word "orientation" in other languages:

🇵🇹 orientação

🇮🇳 दिशा-निर्देश

🇩🇪 Orientierung

🇮🇩 orientasi

🇺🇦 орієнтація

🇵🇱 orientacja

🇯🇵 オリエンテーション

🇫🇷 orientation

🇪🇸 orientación

🇹🇷 yönlendirme

🇰🇷 오리엔테이션

🇸🇦 توجيه

🇨🇿 orientace

🇸🇰 orientácia

🇨🇳 方向

🇸🇮 usmeritev

🇮🇸 stefnumörkun

🇰🇿 бағыт-бағдар

🇬🇪 ორიენტაცია

🇦🇿 istiqamət

🇲🇽 orientación

Etymology

The word 'orientation' originated from the Latin word 'orientare', which means 'to face east'. This is because in ancient times, people used the direction of the rising sun (east) as a reference point for navigation and orientation. Over time, the term evolved to encompass a broader meaning related to alignment, direction, and familiarization in various contexts.

See also: disorient, disorientation, disoriented, disorientedly, orient, oriental.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,490, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.