compartment

noun com·part·ment \ kəm-ˈpärt-mənt \

Definition of compartment

1 : a separate division or section

2 : one of the parts into which an enclosed space is divided

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compartmental

play \kəm-ˌpärt-ˈmen-tᵊl, ˌkäm-\ adjective

See compartment defined for English-language learners

See compartment defined for kids

Examples of compartment in a Sentence

The suitcase has a zippered compartment for personal items.
The refrigerator has a separate compartment for meats.

Recent Examples of compartment from the Web

The wardens were able to assist in retrieving the vehicle from the river and subsequently discovered 415 pounds of marijuana located in the back seat and rear compartments.

— community report, Houston Chronicle, "Game warden field notes," 27 Oct. 2017
Cargo space is a best-in-class 98.2 cubic feet, with an additional storage compartment under the cargo floor.

— emma jayne williams, star-telegram, "Chevrolet’s Traverse big crossover gets a complete makeover for 2018," 30 Sep. 2017
Pictured is a Chippendale figured maple slant front desk featuring a secret compartment.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Colchester Edition," 18 Sep. 2017
After all, a few feet to the right and the driver's compartment with Cullen in it would have taken the hit from the moving car, not the engine.

— paul beaudry, AL.com, "Forget 'The Big One' at Talladega: Short-track spinout leads to wreck, fight, Taser and handcuffs," 15 Oct. 2017
The bodies of the 10 sailors who died in the crash were found by divers inside flooded compartments.

— jake maxwell watts, WSJ, "Collision-Damaged U.S. Destroyer Heads for Japan, Repair," 5 Oct. 2017
Pretty much anyone expected to play Sunday against the Saints got his own sleeping compartment on the nonstop Virgin Atlantic flight from Fort Lauderdale.

— adam h. beasley, miamiherald, "The Dolphins’ plan for surviving this hellish road stretch? By living like the 1 percent," 30 Sep. 2017
With the restyling, the passenger compartment is larger and more comfortable.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "Kia updates the Optima Hybrid for 2017, boosting fuel economy, styling, technology," 22 Sep. 2017
That explains why the two men spent the bulk of their time figuring out how to create a watertight seal for the jetpack's battery compartment, which contained powerful lithium batteries.

— peter holley, ajc, "This underwater 'Iron Man' jetpack lets you swim faster than Michael Phelps," 22 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compartment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of compartment

Middle French compartiment, from Italian compartimento, from compartire to mark out in parts, from Late Latin compartiri to share out, from Latin com- + partiri to share, from part-, pars part, share

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1578

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

compartment Synonyms

Synonyms

bay, cabin, cell, chamber, cube, cubicle;

Related Words

cubbyhole, pigeonhole;

alcove, niche, nook, recess;

cabinet, drawer, locker;

cavity, hole, hollow;

booth, box, crib, loge, stall;

bunker, crypt, vault;

compartment

verb com·part·ment \ kəm-ˈpärt-ˌment , -mənt \

Definition of compartment

transitive verb

: compartmentalize

Examples of compartment in a Sentence

compartment the responses according to country of origin

Recent Examples of compartment from the Web

Sharing highly compartmented, classified information with Russians is a theatrical distraction from the greater good of polluting streams, enabling predatory financial practices, cutting taxes, and taking people’s health care away.

— brian beutler, New Republic, "“No Drama” McConnell is turning the cynical subtext of the GOP’s devil’s bargain with Trump into text.," 16 May 2017

First Known Use of compartment

1918

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

compartment Synonyms

Synonyms

assort, break down, categorize, class, classify, codify, compartmentalize, digest, distinguish, distribute, grade, group, peg, place, range, rank, relegate, separate, sort, type;

Near Antonyms

confuse, disarrange, jumble, lump, mix (up), scramble;

misclassify, missort, mistype;

alphabetize, catalog (or catalogue), file, index, list, refer;

pigeonhole, shelve;

identify, recognize;

cull, screen, set, sieve, sift, winnow;

clump, cluster;

recategorize, reclassify, regroup;

subcategorize;

COMPARTMENT Defined for English Language Learners

compartment

noun

Definition of compartment for English Language Learners

: an enclosed space or area that is usually part of something larger and is often used to hold a specific thing
: one of the separate areas of an automobile, train, or airplane