compartmentalize

verb

com·​part·​men·​tal·​ize kəm-ˌpärt-ˈmen-tə-ˌlīz How to pronounce compartmentalize (audio)
ˌkäm-
compartmentalized; compartmentalizing

transitive verb

: to separate into isolated compartments or categories
compartmentalization noun

Examples of compartmentalize in a Sentence

He compartmentalizes his life by keeping his job and his personal life separate. The company has compartmentalized its services.
Recent Examples on the Web Triumphantly Take the Stage Weeks After 2022 Brain Surgery This ability to compartmentalize, analyze and be flexible has served me well in marketing, particularly within fast-moving industries, like the cannabis industry. Magen Baker, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 There’s nothing hypocritical about compartmentalizing a cam gig. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 By compartmentalizing these things and working on regulating my emotions, my life outside of work didn’t impact my performance at the company. Armon Petrossian, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Travel organizers, from packing cubes to cosmetic bags, can help maximize space within your bags by neatly compartmentalizing items, preventing over-packing, and ensuring that every inch of your suitcase is utilized effectively. Austa Somvichian-Clausen, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2024 Director: Denis Villeneuve Cast: Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Daniel Kaluuya, Raoul Trujillo Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Being an action movie fan is all about compartmentalizing their dubious politics. EW.com, 31 Jan. 2024 The team had only a few seconds to dry their tears, compartmentalize sadness, and play their first game since Jan. 15, a 134-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at Chase Center. Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024 Lynn seeks to digest and summarize a vast amount of literature that has come out on this subject and to compartmentalize much of evangelicalism’s treatment of work into distinguishable silos. David L. Bahnsen, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024 Hoytema and Nolan compartmentalize things even further, shooting some of the film—Strauss’ story in particular—in black and white and most of the rest in color. Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 29 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of compartmentalize was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near compartmentalize

Cite this Entry

“Compartmentalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compartmentalize. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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!