orientation
/ˌɔːrɪənˈteɪʃ(ə)n
/ /ˌɒrɪənˈteɪʃ(ə)n/noun [mass noun]
1The action of orienting someone or something relative to the points of a compass or other specified positions: studies of locational awareness and orientation in young children...
- Actually, I think it's a matter of compass orientation.
- The agreed reforms aim to ensure the Common Agricultural Policy is firmly based on the principles of market orientation, sustainability and environmental awareness.
- These days have been incredibly traumatic and the only place I can receive some positive therapy and orientation is this great site.
1.1 [count noun] The relative position or direction of something: using the orientation of a building to capture energy from the sun...
- First, a calibration process determines camera position and orientation with respect to the vehicle platform.
- The specimens are flattened in a variety of orientations to the bedding planes.
- There is no relationship between the lattice orientations of the two minerals.
Synonyms
positioning, location, position, situation, lie, bearings, angle, placement, direction, alignment, emplacement, locating, situating
1.2 Zoology The faculty by which birds and other animals find their way back to a place after going or being taken to a place distant from it: recent research in animal orientation...
- When the migratory birds lose their orientation, they land in the gardens or on a road covered with tree canopy.
- Although treatment with a magnetic pulse results in directional changes in orientation in adult birds, these changes do not appear to be associated with the magnetic compass.
- Some researchers have suggested that after dark the invertebrates lose orientation and are inadvertently washed away.
2A person’s basic attitude, beliefs, or feelings in relation to a particular subject or issue: his book is well worth reading, regardless of your political orientation...
- The idea that you can change sexual orientation is laughable.
- They conclude that a person's sexual orientation is determined before birth.
- In addition, several items assessed subjects' preferred theoretical orientation and anticipated area of primary professional involvement.
Synonyms
attitude, inclination, direction, aim, intention
3Familiarization with something: many judges give instructions to assist jury orientation...
- Mike walked me to the counter, and my training and orientation was done.
- In addition, each business must go through some training and orientation.
- Foreign-educated nurses need extensive orientation and training in the US health care system.
Synonyms
adaptation, adjustment, accommodation, familiarization, acclimatization, settling in
3.1 (also orientation course) chiefly North American A course giving information to newcomers to a university or other institution.I went to both faculty and residence orientation, which means I have a lot more white t-shirts than I'll ever wear, as one would be more than enough....
- I remember how surprised I was to hear this at the new faculty orientation.
- Still haven't actually ‘met’ anyone since orientation though.
Derivatives
orientational
- To demonstrate the effect of water ordering in the present simulations, the orientational profile of the water dipole along the bilayer normal (z-direction) was calculated.
- Our purpose here has been to illustrate how three visible ‘bows’ depend for their system-specific meanings on several invisible spatial, orientational and deictic features of the whole systems to which they belong.
- Obviously no orientational dependence is expected from spherical beads, which is confirmed by our experiments (the residual fluctuations are likely to be due to imperfections in the bead and/or the measurement system).
Origin
Mid 19th century: apparently from orient.