Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To orient.
  • intransitive verb To face or turn to the east.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To turn or cause to turn toward the east; cause to assume an easterly direction or aspect; orient; specifically, to place (a church) with its altar-end toward the east. See orient, v., 2.
  • To determine or ascertain the position of, especially with reference to the east; determine or fix the position or bearings of; figuratively, to take one's proper bearings mentally.
  • To place, as a crystal, in such a position as to show clearly the true relation of the several parts.
  • To assume an easterly direction; turn or veer toward the east; specifically (ecclesiastical), to be so constructed that the end nearest the altar or high altar (ecclesiastically accounted the eastern end) is directed toward a certain point of the compass; especially, to be so placed that the conventional eastern end is directed toward the geographical east.
  • To worship toward the east; especially, to celebrate the eucharist in the eastward position — that is, facing the altar. See eastward, a.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To place or turn toward the east; to cause to assume an easterly direction, or to veer eastward.
  • transitive verb To arrange in order; to dispose or place (a body) so as to show its relation to other bodies, or the relation of its parts among themselves.
  • transitive verb Same as orient{2}.
  • intransitive verb To move or turn toward the east; to veer from the north or south toward the east.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb UK, intransitive To face (a given direction).
  • verb UK, reflexive To determine one's position relative to the surroundings; to orient (oneself).
  • verb UK, transitive To position (something), to align relative to a given position.
  • verb archaic To move or turn toward the east; to veer from the north or south toward the east.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb determine one's position with reference to another point

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From orient +‎ -ate, perhaps after orientation.

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Examples

Comments

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  • grrrr. orientated is one of my main rubbies!

    February 16, 2007

  • Ditto. That's why it's on my list of words I don't like. Grrrr.

    February 16, 2007

  • This word has always grated on me as well. Yet I am surprised to learn that no less of an author than John LeCarre used it in one of his novels (used as a citation on dictionary.com definition). And it has a second definition of "facing towards the east."

    February 16, 2007

  • Why not just use "orient?" Arghh.

    April 15, 2009

  • When I hear this word, I desire to howl and moan like a rheumatic iguana.

    December 11, 2010

  • Really? That sounds amusing.

    *wanders over to the Pronunciations page*

    December 11, 2010

  • Dear Wordnik, can we not abolish this word and (dear everyone) can we please laugh out loud at its every use? It sounds so childish; orient is a perfectly fine substitute in all cases.

    July 17, 2016

  • I'd miss the noun orientation though, as orienting would sound awkward.

    * The new students very much looked forward to Orienting Week.

    July 17, 2016

  • I notice the definitions on orientation include things like this:

    n. The act of orienting or the state of being oriented.

    July 17, 2016