Standard Lemma guide

compartmentalise

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

Non-Oxford British standard spelling of compartmentalize.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

separate into isolated compartments or categories

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • You cannot compartmentalize your life like this!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: compartmentalize, cut up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: separate, disunite, divide, part

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin com- Proto-Indo-European *perh3-der.? Proto-Italic *partis Latin pars Latin partiō Latin partior Latin compartīrībor. Italian compartire Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Italian -mento Italian compartimentobor. Middle French compartimentder. English compartment English -al English compartmental English -ise English compartmentalise From compartmental + -ise.