orienteering

noun

ori·​en·​teer·​ing ˌȯr-ē-ən-ˈtir-iŋ How to pronounce orienteering (audio)
-ˌen-
: a competitive or noncompetitive recreational activity in which participants use a map and compass to navigate between checkpoints along an unfamiliar course (as in the woods)

Examples of orienteering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other drop-in events include an equestrian corner (with a pony), an introduction to orienteering, and demos of an all-terrain wheelchair and a terrain hopper at Scuppernong; and introduction to archery and hunting dog training at the Field Trial Grounds. Chelsey Lewis, Journal Sentinel, 4 May 2023 The beetles are known to have good orienteering skills; but unlike other animals that use environmental cues to navigate homeward, the dung beetle’s goal is to get far away from that big pile of poop. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2012 Today’s agenda included shooting from skis, orienteering, and sled handling. Stuart Stevens, Outside Online, 12 Dec. 2017 So the key transition may have happened much earlier, when people abandoned hunting and gathering, a lifestyle in which odors are a powerful orienteering tool. Abigail Tucker, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Sep. 2022 There have been plenty of top athletes who have gotten into orienteering — for example, former Olympic skier Bill Spencer was in attendance Wednesday. Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 7 July 2022 Growing up in Hong Kong, Ms. Chow read martial-arts novels and loved orienteering. Wenxin Fan and Elaine Yu, WSJ, 25 May 2022 Breckenridge is home to some of the longest and most rollicking backcountry rides in North America, but figuring them out on your own can be a lesson in orienteering. Marc Peruzzi, Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2019 Though a wonderful place for orienteering, Wales has not historically been a bastion of hipness. Richard Godwin, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orienteering.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

modification of Swedish orientering, from orientera to orient

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of orienteering was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near orienteering

Cite this Entry

“Orienteering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orienteering. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

orienteering

noun
ori·​en·​teer·​ing ˌȯr-ē-ən-ˈtir-iŋ How to pronounce orienteering (audio)
: a competitive or noncompetitive recreational activity in which participants find their way over an unfamiliar course (as in the woods) using a map and compass

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