orientate
verb /ˈɔːriənteɪt/
/ˈɔːriənteɪt/
(also orient)
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they orientate | /ˈɔːriənteɪt/ /ˈɔːriənteɪt/ |
| he / she / it orientates | /ˈɔːriənteɪts/ /ˈɔːriənteɪts/ |
| past simple orientated | /ˈɔːriənteɪtɪd/ /ˈɔːriənteɪtɪd/ |
| past participle orientated | /ˈɔːriənteɪtɪd/ /ˈɔːriənteɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form orientating | /ˈɔːriənteɪtɪŋ/ /ˈɔːriənteɪtɪŋ/ |
- [usually passive] orientate somebody/something (to/towards somebody/something) to direct somebody/something towards something; to make or adapt somebody/something for a particular purpose
- policies orientated to the needs of working parents
- orientate yourself to find your position in relation to everything that is around or near you
- The mountaineers found it hard to orientate themselves in the fog.
- orientate yourself to make yourself familiar with a new situation
- It took him some time to orientate himself in his new school.
compare disorientate
Word Originmid 19th cent.: probably a back-formation from orientation.