| orientation (ˌɔːrɪɛnˈteɪʃən) |
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| —n |
| 1. | the act or process of orienting or the state of being oriented |
| 2. | position or positioning with relation to the points of the compass or other specific directions |
| 3. | the adjustment or alignment of oneself or one's ideas to surroundings or circumstances |
| 4. | chiefly (US), (Canadian) Also called: orientation course |
| | a. a course, programme, lecture, etc, introducing a new situation or environment |
| | b. (as modifier): an orientation talk |
| 5. | psychol the knowledge of one's own temporal, social, and practical circumstances in life |
| 6. | basic beliefs or preferences: sexual orientation |
| 7. | biology the change in position of the whole or part of an organism in response to a stimulus, such as light |
| 8. | chem the relative dispositions of atoms, ions, or groups in molecules or crystals |
| 9. | the siting of a church on an east-west axis, usually with the altar at the E end |
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| orien'tational |
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| —adj |