orientation

/,ɔ:fien'teiʃn/

Thân thiện

The new students attend a campus orientation before classes begin.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The process of introducing someone to a new situation, environment, or set of rules: An initial period of learning or adjustment, often provided to new employees, students, or members.
   • A person's awareness of their position in relation to their surroundings, time, and social context: The understanding of one's location, identity, and circumstances.
   • A person's inherent or habitual inclination, preference, or political/ideological leaning: A general tendency to favor a particular thing, idea, or approach.
   • The positioning or alignment of something relative to the points of the compass or another fixed direction: The physical direction something faces or is arranged in.
   • The act of determining one's position or directing something towards a point: The action of orienting or being oriented.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • All new staff must attend a two-day orientation. (An introductory course for a new environment.)
  • After the concussion, he experienced a temporary loss of orientation. (Awareness of self and place.)
  • The professor's academic orientation is decidedly postmodern. (A set of attitudes and beliefs.)
  • Check the orientation of the map so it aligns with north. (Position relative to compass points.)
  • The orientation of the antenna is critical for a good signal. (The act or result of positioning.)

Advanced Usage

• "Sexual orientation": A person's inherent or enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction.

  • The company's policy prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

• "Market orientation": A business philosophy focused on identifying and meeting the needs and wants of customers.

  • Their success is due to a strong market orientation.

Variants and Related Words

• Orient (verb): To align or position something; to familiarize someone with a new situation.

  • The tour is designed to orient new students to the campus.

• Orienteering (noun): A competitive sport involving navigation across unfamiliar terrain using a map and compass.

  • He enjoys the challenge of orienteering.

• Disorientation (noun): A state of confusion about one's position, time, or identity.

  • The medication can cause dizziness and disorientation.

Synonyms

• Introduction, induction (for the introductory course sense).
• Awareness, bearings (for the positional awareness sense).
• Inclination, tendency, predisposition (for the leaning sense).
• Alignment, positioning, direction (for the physical direction sense).

Related Phrases

• Orientation week (O-Week): A period at the start of an academic year with events to welcome new students.

  • I made my first friends during orientation week.

• To lose one's orientation: To become confused about where one is or what is happening.

  • In the dense fog, the hikers completely lost their orientation.

Related Idioms

• To get one's bearings: To become aware of one's position or situation. (Similar to gaining orientation).
  • After moving to the new city, it took me a week to get my bearings.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a course introducing a new situation or environment
2. a person's awareness of self with regard to position and time and place and personal relationships
3. a predisposition in favor of something
   • a predilection for expensive cars
   • his sexual preferences
   • showed a Marxist orientation
4. position or alignment relative to points of the compass or other specific directions
5. an integrated set of attitudes and beliefs
6. the act of orienting

Từ đồng nghĩa

• orientation course
• predilection
• preference