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
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.
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 For instance, travelers can go on expeditions through the Alps led by esteemed mountaineers, or for the littler ones, try scavenger hunts and beginner orienteering lessons. — Jimmy Carroll, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2025 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 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 See All Example Sentences for orienteering

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

Rhymes for orienteering

See All Rhymes for orienteering

Browse Nearby Words

orienteer
orienteering
orienter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Orienteering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orienteering. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

More from Merriam-Webster on orienteering

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about orienteering

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All