reorient

verb

re·​ori·​ent (ˌ)rē-ˈȯr-ē-ˌent How to pronounce reorient (audio)
reoriented; reorienting

transitive verb

: to orient (someone or something) again or differently: such as
a
: to change the orientation or direction of (something or someone)
reorient the antenna
reoriented herself so she was facing north
b
: to reacquaint (someone, especially oneself) with a situation, environment, etc.
woke up and reoriented myself to my surroundings
… returning servicewomen and men struggling to reorient themselves to civilian life.Molly Callahan
c
: to change the goal or emphasis of (something or someone)
… I stumbled into motherhood and was bewildered at … the volte-face required to reorient myself, my values and my way of life …Madeleine Bunting
… lacks nearly every resource necessary to reorient its archaic industrial economy …David Remnick
The long-term potential of vast databases of genomic data to … reorient the debate on medical priorities …Larry Downes and Paul Nunes
also : to direct (something) toward the interests of a different group
reorienting its policy priorities to the working class. Franklin Foer
reorientation noun
plural reorientations
Many soldiers also find blogging a useful way to help deal with reorientation to civilian life … Brad Knickerbocker

Examples of reorient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump was insistent Monday that the tariffs are required to rebalance trade and reorient the U.S. economy following years of being taken advantage of. Tara Suter, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025 Senior defense leaders, the office wrote, would need to reorient the U.S. military’s principal focus toward the Pacific. Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025 Donald Trump has substantially reoriented American trade policy, imposing major new tariffs on some of the United States' biggest trading partners, including close allies, with promises of more to come. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025 The kind of production that reorients my gaze and opens up my heart to possibilities in life and cinema. Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reorient

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reorient was in 1877

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reorient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reorient. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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