compartment

1 of 2

noun

com·​part·​ment kəm-ˈpärt-mənt 

1

: a separate division or section

2

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

compartmental

kəm-ˌpärt-ˈmen-tᵊl 

ˌkäm-

adjective

compartment

2 of 2

verb

com·​part·​ment kəm-ˈpärt-ˌment  -mənt 

compartmented; compartmenting; compartments

transitive verb

: compartmentalize

Synonyms of compartment

Noun

• chamber
• cell
• cabin

Verb

• rank
• classify
• group
• place
• type
• relegate
• separate
• distinguish
• class
• grade
• sort
• compartmentalize

Examples of compartment in a Sentence

Noun

The suitcase has a zippered compartment for personal items.

The refrigerator has a separate compartment for meats.

Verb

compartment the responses according to country of origin

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Evans suggests those baskets should have lids and compartments to keep things looking clean. — Mallory Carra, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026

The brand, which built its name on bags engineered for organization — pockets, key leashes, laptop compartments and a place for seemingly everything — has debuted a new chapter with the Super Soft collection. — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

The Sleeper uses vintage night trains with three-to-six-person compartments with couchettes that convert into beds (bookable by the bed or as private cabins). — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

Apple claims that Audio Intelligence has several privacy measures to protect your data, including a dedicated hardware compartment on the S11 that processes audio internally. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

1564, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1918, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing compartment

• glove compartment

Rhymes for compartment

• apartment
• departement
• department

Kids Definition

compartment

noun

com·​part·​ment

kəm-ˈpärt-mənt

1

: a separate division or section

2

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