1. To divide activities, systems, or information into separate parts that are kept apart.
2. To keep different thoughts or feelings apart so that one does not affect the others.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- compartmentalize information
- compartmentalize responsibilities
On the page
The agency compartmentalized information so thoroughly that no team saw the whole pattern.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- compartmentalize
- Past tense
- compartmentalized
- Past participle
- compartmentalized
- Present participle
- compartmentalizing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- compartmentalize
- Present continuous
- am/is/are compartmentalizing
- Present perfect
- have/has compartmentalized
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been compartmentalizing
- Past
- compartmentalized
- Past continuous
- was/were compartmentalizing
- Past perfect
- had compartmentalized
- Past perfect continuous
- had been compartmentalizing
- Future
- will compartmentalize
- Future continuous
- will be compartmentalizing
- Future perfect
- will have compartmentalized
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been compartmentalizing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: compartmentalize; compartmentalizes; compartmentalized; compartmentalized; compartmentalizing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: compartmentalizes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.