Orient (en. East)

ɔʁjɑ̃

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

noun

The cardinal point or direction towards the east.

The Orient traditionally refers to the region to the east of Europe.

L'Orient désigne traditionnellement la région à l'est de l'Europe.

The country or region of Asia, especially in a historical context.

Exchanges with the Orient have enriched our culture.

Les échanges avec l'Orient ont enrichi notre culture.

verb

To position or situate something in reference to cardinal points.

You need to orient the compass towards the north.

Il faut orienter la boussole vers le nord.

To help someone understand or adapt to a new situation.

The trainer oriented the new employees on internal procedures.

Le formateur a orienté les nouveaux employés sur les procédures internes.

From Latin 'orientem', present participle of 'oriri', meaning 'to rise, to appear'.

to orient oneself towards

To direct or focus on something.

s'orienter vers

to orient one's research

To adjust one’s research to make it more fruitful.

orienter ses recherches

to steer a discussion

To guide a conversation towards a specific topic.

orienter une discussion

orientation

The act of determining a direction or location.

orientation

orientalism

Artistic or literary style inspired by the East.

orientalisme

guide

A person who helps with orientation, particularly in education or employment.

orienteur

To be lost.

After wandering in the maze, I was completely oriented.

Après avoir tourné dans le labyrinthe, j'étais complètement orient.

To be in a state of confusion.

He was so disoriented that he forgot why he was there.

Il était tellement orient qu'il a oublié pourquoi il était là.