DISORIENTATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does disorientation mean? 

• DISORIENTATION (noun)
  The noun DISORIENTATION has 2 senses:

1. a wild delusion (especially one induced by a hallucinogenic drug)

2. confusion (usually transient) about where you are and how to proceed; uncertainty as to direction

  Familiarity information: DISORIENTATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISORIENTATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A wild delusion (especially one induced by a hallucinogenic drug)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

disorientation; freak out

Hypernyms ("disorientation" is a kind of...):

delusion; hallucination (a mistaken or unfounded opinion or idea)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Confusion (usually transient) about where you are and how to proceed; uncertainty as to direction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

his disorientation was the result of inattention

Hypernyms ("disorientation" is a kind of...):

confusedness; confusion; disarray; mental confusion; muddiness (a mental state characterized by a lack of clear and orderly thought and behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "disorientation"):

culture shock (a condition of disorientation affecting someone who is suddenly exposed to an unfamiliar culture or way of life or set of attitudes)

Derivation:

disorient (cause to be lost or disoriented)

 Context examples 

The disease, called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), is believed to be caused by repeated head trauma and has been known to cause memory loss, disorientation, depression and impaired judgement, among other symptoms.

(Study: Brain Disease Found in Nearly All Deceased US Football Players, VOA News)

Exposure to bromoethene causes dizziness, disorientation, sleepiness.

(Bromoethene, NCI Thesaurus)

A disorder characterized by CONFUSION; inattentiveness; disorientation; ILLUSIONS; HALLUCINATIONS; agitation; and in some instances autonomic nervous system overactivity.

(Delirium, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Symptoms include central nervous system impairment such as as delirium with prominent symptoms of personality change, cognitive dysfunction, disorientation, incoherent speech, and psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, smooth muscle hypotonicity, and altered cardiovascular function.

(Hypercalcemia of Malignancy, NCI Thesaurus)

All three of these biomedical research methods suggest that exposure to high levels of fine air pollutants increases both dementia’s classic behavioral signs of disorientation and memory loss as well as its less obvious hallmarks.

(The Surprising Link between Air Pollution, Alzheimer’s Disease, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)