orient

USOR-ee-ent/ˈɔɹ.iˌɛnt/AW-ree-ent/ˈɔː.ɹɪˌɛnt/

As a proper noun, adjective or nounOR-ee-uhnt

Formsorients, orienting, oriented

15 meanings of orient

Practice

1
suit a groupverbfigurativelyUStransitive
To plan something so that it suits or speaks to a certain group of people.
The library wants to orient its summer program to teenagers.
They oriented the new menu toward families with small children.
Similargear, tailor, aim, direct, target
2
point towardverbUStransitive
To turn something so it points a certain way.
We oriented the tent so the door faced away from the wind.
Orient the solar panel toward the sun to get the most power.
Similarorientate
Note
3
settle inverbfigurativelyUSreflexivetransitive
To help yourself or someone else get to know a new situation.
New students get a week to orient themselves before classes start.
The manager oriented the new workers on the safety rules.
Similarorientate
Oppositedisorient, disorientate
Note
4
find directionverbUSreflexivetransitive
To find out which way you are facing.
When you come out of the subway, stop and orient yourself before you walk.
She looked at the sun to orient herself in the woods.
Similarorientate
Note
5
Asiaproper noun
The lands in the east, especially the countries of Asia. It is usually written with a capital O.
The traders brought silk and tea from the orient.
As a young man he set out to see the orient with his own eyes.
SimilarEast
OppositeWest, occident
Note
6
turn to faceverbUSintransitive
To turn and face a certain way.
The deer stopped and oriented toward the noise in the bushes.
Baby turtles orient toward the brightest light when they hatch.
Similarturn, face
Note

Less common meanings

7
verbUStransitive
To turn something, such as a map, so its north, south, east, and west match the real directions.
Before the hike, Dad oriented the map with his compass.
The class had to orient the sundial so that its pointer lined up with north.
Similarorientate
Note
8
build facing eastverbUStransitive
To build or place something so that it faces east.
The builders oriented the little church so its altar was at the east end.
Ancient builders liked to orient their temples to the sunrise.
Note
9
easternadjective
In the east, or facing east.
The orient gate of the old city opens toward the sea.
Morning light came first through the orient windows of the chapel.
Similareastern, east
Oppositeoccidental
Note
10
eastern skynoununcountable
The east, where the sun comes up in the morning.
The orient turned pink just before the sun came up.
We watched the orient from the hilltop, waiting for sunrise.
Similareast
Oppositeoccident, west
Note
11
pearl shinenoununcountable
The bright shine or color of a very good pearl.
The jeweler held the pearl up to the window to show its soft orient.
This pearl has a lovely pink orient.
Similarluster, sheen
Note
12
adjective
Bright, shiny, and very valuable, used of pearls and other jewels. It can also just mean bright.
The queen wore a long necklace of orient pearls.
In the morning sun, the drops of water on the leaves looked orient and clear.
Similarlustrous, brilliant, shining, radiant, luminous
Oppositedull
Note
13
a pearlnounobsolete
A beautiful and valuable pearl. At first the word meant a bright pearl from around India.
The merchant held up a single orient as big as a pea.
Her gown was sewn with dozens of tiny orients.
Note
14
sunrise coloredadjectivedated
Bright red, orange, or yellow, like the sky at sunrise.
The clouds turned orient just before the sun rose.
At dawn an orient glow spread slowly over the hills.
Note
15
rising (sun)adjectivedatedfiguratively
Coming up, like the sun in the morning.
The orient sun lit up the tops of the hills.
The farmers walked out to the fields under the orient sun.
Similarrising
Oppositesetting
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of orient apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 5, 9–15

From the Latin word oriēns, meaning “the east” or “sunrise”, from a verb meaning “to rise”.

Meanings 1–4, 6–8

From the French verb orienter, meaning “to guide” or “to set to north”.