WordGarden.iocompartment
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /kəmpˈɑːtmənt/
US
- /kəmˈpɑrtmənt/
Meanings
Noun
a separate enclosed section within a larger space or object
a separate category or area of thought, activity, or responsibility
a distinct region within a body, organ, cell, or organism
Beyond the definition
Imagine a train car—it's not just one big open room, right? It's divided into compartments, smaller sections for passengers or luggage. A compartment is simply a separate area within a larger whole. Your car has a glove compartment for papers and small items. You might also have a special compartment in your bag for your phone, or a refrigerator with different compartments for fruits and vegetables. Even your heart has chambers—separate spaces inside it.
The word suggests something contained and organized. Think of train compartments, but also the little sections inside a tackle box, or even the separate "compartments" of your life: work, family, and hobbies. It's about creating order within a larger system. A ship might have watertight compartments to prevent sinking if one area is breached.
A compartment is a distinct section or division within something larger—a self-contained space set apart from others. Originally, the word referred specifically to enclosed spaces like those in ships or train carriages, designed for privacy or specific purposes. Think of a sleeper car on a train; each individual sleeping area is a compartment.
However, its meaning has broadened over time. Today, we use "compartment" to describe any separate section within a larger object or system. A lunchbox might have compartments for sandwiches, fruit, and drinks. Your brain can even be thought of as having different "mental compartments" where you store memories or process emotions.
The word often implies organization and separation—keeping things neatly divided. A filing cabinet uses compartments to categorize documents. In engineering, a watertight compartment in a ship is designed to isolate damage and prevent the vessel from sinking. Even abstract concepts can have compartments. Someone might say they "keep their work life in a separate compartment" from their personal life, meaning they don't let one interfere with the other.
So whether it's a physical space or a mental construct, a compartment is all about division, containment, and creating order within something bigger than itself.
Examples
- 1
Backpack
Put the tickets in the small zippered compartment at the front of your backpack.
- 2
Lunch box
This lunch box has three compartments, so the sauce won't spill onto the rice.
- 3
Train travel
We had a private compartment on the train, which made the long trip more comfortable.
- 4
Car storage
The registration papers are in the glove compartment.
- Phraseglove compartment
a small storage space built into the front of a car
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Work-life separation
He seems to keep his job and his personal life in separate compartments.
- Patternkeep X in separate compartments
keep different parts of life or thought apart
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
- whole
- open space
Used with (collocations)
- storage compartment
- passenger compartment
- engine compartment
- glove compartment
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- compartmentnounverb
Forms
- compartmentspluralnounverb
- compartmentedpast tenseverbnoun
- compartmenting-ing formverbnoun