compartment

American  

[kuhm-pahrt-muhnt] / kəmˈpɑrt mənt /

noun

• compartments
  plural

1. a part or space marked or partitioned off.

   Synonyms:

   section, division

2. a separate room, section, etc..

   a baggage compartment.

3. U.S. Railroads. a private bedroom with toilet facilities.

4. a separate aspect, function, or the like.

   the compartments of the human mind.

5. Architecture. a distinct major division of a design.

6. Heraldry. a decorative base, as a grassy mound, on which the supporters of an escutcheon stand or rest.

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verb (used with object)

1. to divide into compartments.

compartment British  

/ kəmˈpɑːtmənt /

noun

1. one of the sections into which an area, esp an enclosed space, is divided or partitioned

2. any separate part or section

   a compartment of the mind

3. a small storage space; locker

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• compartmental
  adjective
• compartmentally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• compartments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of compartment

1555–65; < Middle French compartiment < Italian compartimento. See compart, -ment

Explanation

A compartment is a space within another space, like the glove compartment in a car. Compartments are spaces, but they're not spaces that stand on their own. Rather, compartments are part of other spaces: they're subdivisions. The trunk is a compartment of a car. A pocket is a compartment of a suitcase. Closets are like compartments of rooms. One of the most common compartments is a car's glove compartment, where people throw all kinds of things. Anything that is divided into smaller spaces has compartments. The ventricles are like compartments of your heart.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

compartment compartments

Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech told AFP three explosions rocked the ship on June 6, flooding several areas including the steering gear compartment and pump room.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

In January 2025 an Air Busan plane was destroyed on the tarmac in Gimhae Airport in South Korea, with investigators concluding a power bank battery pack left in an overhead luggage compartment was the culprit.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

The weathered thread compartment holds two toy horses with armed riders in red coats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

The study, titled "Personalised gait retraining for medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: a randomised controlled trial," was published in The Lancet Rheumatology.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

I help put our bags in the overhead compartment.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

But that is why it is essential that devices are kept in the cabin, not in overhead compartments, and definitely not in the hold.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

This network consists of compartments that fold, modify, and prepare proteins before sending them to their final locations.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

A lot of Arasheben’s rings have James Bond elements such as secret compartments or special elements.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

Take, for example, the viral “snackle box,” which contains multiple compartments to hold everything from your favorite packaged snacks and candies to cut up fruit and vegetables.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

Everyone must follow exact directions to their new compartments.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• alcove
• carriage
• cell
• chamber
• cubicle
• locker
• slot