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Definition of orienteering

orienteering

/ˌɔːr.i.ɛnˈtɪr.ɪŋ/
o · ri · en · teer · ing
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orienteering Lexical Profile

orienteering Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A competitive outdoor sport in which participants navigate on foot across unfamiliar terrain using a detailed topographic map and a compass to locate a sequence of control points as quickly as possible.

Example

"Our school outdoor club organized a weekend of orienteering in the state forest to teach students practical map-reading skills."

• Rhymes for orienteering

• Nearby Words

orientate
orientation
oriented
orienteering
orifice
origami
origanum

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the mid-20th century from Swedish orientering, literally meaning 'orientation', where the sport originated as a military land-navigation training exercise in the late 19th century.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Orienteering. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/orienteering
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