compartmentalize
Americanverb (used with object)
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compartmentalizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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compartmentalized,
past participle, past
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compartmentalizing
present participle
-
to divide into separate and isolated categories, sections, areas, or compartments.
Instead of compartmentalizing tasks, employees can be trained broadly.
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Psychology. to mentally separate or set aside (one’s incompatible or negative emotions, beliefs, or behaviors): Unfortunately, the experiences at work are not easily compartmentalized—they stay with the nurses and affect every aspect of their lives.
Ripley, a serial killer, has the capacity to compartmentalize his thoughts, push his conscience conveniently aside, in order to live with himself.
Unfortunately, the experiences at work are not easily compartmentalized—they stay with the nurses and affect every aspect of their lives.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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compartmentalizesimple
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compartmentalizessimple
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have compartmentalizedperfect
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has compartmentalizedperfect
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am compartmentalizingprogressive
-
are compartmentalizingprogressive
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is compartmentalizingprogressive
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have been compartmentalizingperfect progressive
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has been compartmentalizingperfect progressive
Past
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compartmentalizedsimple
-
had compartmentalizedperfect
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was compartmentalizingprogressive
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were compartmentalizingprogressive
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had been compartmentalizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of compartmentalize
First recorded in 1920–25; compartmental + -ize
Explanation
When you separate something into smaller sections or categories, you compartmentalize it. Sometimes people compartmentalize their feelings in order to understand them better. Someone who compartmentalizes his own life tends to sort its different parts, keeping work life completely removed from recreation or family life, for example. A college student might find that a good way to prepare for a history exam is to compartmentalize each decade and study them separately. The verb compartmentalize comes from the noun compartment, itself from the Old French compartiment, "part partitioned off," from the Late Latin compartiri, "to divide."
Vocabulary lists containing compartmentalize
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“That catharsis is another feeling and I knew so much of my audience had an experience with this music, but maybe had to compartmentalize and be on the outside in order to enjoy it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The ability to compartmentalize, a coping skill that is often learned young, can be beneficial.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
So I stopped trying to be my whole self everywhere, and gave myself permission to prioritize and compartmentalize.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025
We compartmentalize this grief and outrage into the corners of our private lives.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2025
My parents thought of the divorce as trading one piece of paper for another, and I try to compartmentalize it in the same way.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Irene compartmentalizes and rationalizes her act; she needs to cool down, the tearoom is a breezy refuge, if one she intentionally seeks out rather than merely happens upon.
From New York Times ● Nov. 11, 2021
As much as the conversation about the Packers keeps veering toward his dissatisfaction, Rodgers compartmentalizes annoyance better than most.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 28, 2021
He’s said that he compartmentalizes, so that if he’s with you, he’s just Dennis.
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2019
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with a movie that compartmentalizes its emotions and dishes them out like stocking stuffers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2016
The guide compartmentalizes U.S. history into 10 eras, from the beginnings until 1620 to contemporary $ America, and proposes two to four "standards" of what students should know about each period.
From Time Magazine Archive
In contrast, Mr. Driscoll warned lawmakers, “our software systems are compartmentalized, isolated and ineffective against modern threats.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
The information is kept highly classified and intricately compartmentalized.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
At the system level, hardware needs to be compartmentalized by dividing business data into different groups, granting users specific access based on their roles and adding a layer of protection to the information.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 20, 2026
Will’s objections, based on his past writings, may be more aesthetic than principled, the product of a neatly compartmentalized mind.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025
I type a quick command and bring up a window to search for my Memory Worlds, all the carefully compartmentalized pieces of my father that I spend so much time revisiting.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
There has long been speculation that Graham’s capacity for compartmentalizing also extended to his personal life.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
That compartmentalizing and focus they learned on the field, he said, “that gives you opportunity to keep on fighting for the real life stuff.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
He’s good at compartmentalizing; he’s a parking violations attendant who tickets angry people all day.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026
But by compartmentalizing and integrating digital screens to show their inventory—rather than the rows of products—machines can offer about twice as many items.
From Slate ● Feb. 1, 2025
Barack, who’s always been good at compartmentalizing, managed to be admirably present and undistracted when he was with us.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
