orient

orient, oriental

Both words now sound dated and have an exotic 18c or 19c aura more associated with the world of empire and romantic adventure than with factual description. In ordinary writing it is often better to use more neutral terms such as eastern or (East) Asian (or terms that specify particular countries). The noun orient is traditionally spelt Orient with a capital initial letter when referring geographically or politically to countries, whereas practice varies between orient and Orient when it is used in general (often literary) reference to the east. That is the rule normally stated, but it is often difficult to be sure of the distinction:

• She was a blonde. They have a great time in the Orient, scarcity value —G. Black, 1972

• Flaubert left Europe a Romantic, and returned from the Orient a Realist —Julian Barnes, 1985

• The need to give punters the opportunity to additionally sample delights from the orient hardly seems necessary —Guardian, 1989

• The orient has three species of tarsiers —C. Willock, 1991.

The adjective oriental, meaning ‘eastern’ with reference to a part of the world, is normally spelt with a small o.

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orient, orientate, verbs.

Both words are used (especially in the adjectival forms oriented and orientated) with the same meaning ‘to place in a particular way in relation to the points of the compass’ and ‘to establish one's bearings’: (orient)

• Man needs relations with other people in order to orient himself —R. May, 1953

• In a youth-oriented society for a woman to grow old means to run the risk of being ignored —A. Hutschnecker, 1981

• (orientate) Kant's own philosophy was undeniably orientated towards problems that lay at the heart of the philosophical enterprise —P. Gardiner, 1988

• Many of the region's market towns have experienced difficult times brought on by changes to agriculture and rural life, as well as commercial pressures driven by the evolution of an ever more consumer-orientated society —Yorkshire Post, 2007.

These examples show how commonly the words are used in abstract or figurative contexts, and as the second element in combinations preceded by a noun (youth-oriented, consumer orientated). There is no meaningful criterion for choosing between them, except that orient is shorter and therefore less cumbersome in some contexts.