What does reorientate mean?
Reorientate means to turn, adjust, or direct something again, most often toward a new direction or orientation. It can describe a physical action, such as reorientating a satellite dish or a group of travelers, but it is also used for a change in thinking or priorities. A person may reorientate after a disruption, while an institution may reorientate its strategy in response to new conditions. The word carries a sense of deliberate adjustment: something already directed one way is being given a revised direction. In contemporary use, reorient is often more natural, especially in American English, but reorientate remains useful when the action involves changing orientation or direction again. It is generally formal and is especially appropriate in navigation, planning, education, and organizational contexts.
verbTo orient or orient again, especially by turning a person or object in a different direction or adjusting to a new situation, priority, or course of action.
- To turn or orient something again, especially in a different direction.
- To adjust one's thoughts, activities, or priorities in response to changed circumstances.
- To establish a new or revised direction for an organization, project, or course of action.
"The tour guide reoriented the group after it became clear that they had taken the wrong path."
"After the storm, the crew reoriented the satellite dish toward the relay station."
"The course helped students reorientate their expectations before entering the workplace."
Reorientate captures the moment when a journey, plan, or mind has to change direction—and start facing somewhere new.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reorientate come from?
Reorientate is formed by combining the prefix re-, meaning again, with orientate, which comes from orient. Orient ultimately derives from Latin orientare, from the noun oriens meaning the rising sun or east. In English, orientate developed meanings connected with determining direction and later with arranging or organizing something. The re- element indicates a repeated or renewed orientation.
Related word forms
How reorientate is actually used
The word is more common in British English than in American English, where reorient is often preferred. It is formal and somewhat less frequent than the shorter and more familiar reorient.
Easily confused with reorientate
Orientate means to establish or adjust an orientation, whereas reorientate suggests doing so again or changing to a different orientation.