/ ˌɔːriənˈteɪʃn; NAmE / noun
1.
[ U , C ] orientation (to / towards sth) the type of aims or interests that a person or an organization has; the act of directing your aims towards a particular thing :
The course is essentially theoretical in orientation.
Companies have been forced into a greater orientation to the market.
2.
[ U , C ] a person's basic beliefs or feelings about a particular subject :
religious / political orientation
a person's sexual orientation (= whether they are attracted to men, women or both)
3.
[ U ] training or information that you are given before starting a new job, course, etc. :
an orientation course
4.
[ C ] ( technical ) the direction in which an object faces :
The orientation of the planet's orbit is changing continuously.
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 19th cent.: apparently from orient .