orientés

Orientés is the plural form of orienté in French, used as both adjective and past participle. It means oriented, directed, or oriented toward a certain direction, goal, or ideology. The word derives from orienter, to orient; itself from Old French orienter, from Latin orientare, from oriens "rising, east," related to the word orient.

In practice, orientés modifies a noun to indicate its direction or alignment: "un véhicule orienté au nord" (a vehicle oriented to the north); "des élèves orientés vers des filières technologiques" (students steered toward technological tracks). It can also form passive constructions with être: "les panneaux ont été orientés vers l'entrée" (the signs were oriented toward the entrance).

In education, "orientation" refers to guidance in choosing studies or career paths; "un ou des élèves orientés" are students who have received guidance toward a specific track. In geography and navigation, "orientation" is the act of determining position or direction, with adjectives like "orienté" used to describe figures or instruments with a known direction. In technology and product design, orientation indicates the alignment of components relative to a reference axis.

The term is neutral and common in standard French; its use should be factually consistent with gender and number. The antonym is "désorienté" (unoriented). Related terms include orientation, orienter, and orientation professionnelle. This article uses general linguistic and usage notes rather than field-specific jargon, to reflect its broad semantic range.