Usage Note: The use of orientate rather than orient is not uncommon, especially in British English, but it is strongly stigmatized in American English. Those who object to orientate sometimes justify their position by arguing that the -ate is a needless syllable, though one rarely hears similar objections to the use of illuminate rather than illumine. Whatever the reason, disapproval of orientate is strong. In our 2014 survey, 80 percent of the Usage Panel found On emerging from the subway station, I had to take a moment to orientate myself unacceptable, with a similar percentage disapproving of The architect orientated the building on an east-west axis and The building is orientated on an east-west axis.