compartmentalize

verb

com·​part·​men·​tal·​ize kəm-ˌpärt-ˈmen-tə-ˌlīz 

ˌkäm-

compartmentalized; compartmentalizing

transitive verb

: to separate into isolated compartments or categories

compartmentalization

kəm-ˌpärt-ˌmen-tə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌkäm-

noun

Synonyms

• classify
• rank
• relegate
• distinguish
• categorize

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

With that, the trio of Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas come swaggering and smiling from the wings, strolling to the tip of a catwalk together, the professional differences that splintered their brotherly union for a spell neatly compartmentalized for 2 ½-hours of polished pop digested by adoring fans. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025

The Holistic Chase The best entrepreneurs don't compartmentalize their pursuits. —Mike Cangi, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025

The way to do it is to separate and compartmentalize. —Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025

Mammals, on the other hand, have compartmentalized immune responses depending on how pathogens enter the body (e.g. skin, gut, lungs, etc.). —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for compartmentalize

• contextualize
• industrialize
• materialise
• materialize
• memorialize
• microenterprise
• overemphasize
• particularize
• revolutionise
• revolutionize
• actualize
• antagonize