Compartmentalization

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /(ˌ)kɒm.pɑː(ɹ)tˌmɛn.təl.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. The act of organizing into distinct segments or divisions involves the separation of different functions into specific areas for clarity and purpose
2. The process of dividing into separate sections entails creating distinct zones that serve unique roles within a larger framework
3. The process of splitting something into distinct parts or zones for better organization ; a mental strategy to keep opposing ideas or emotions apart to avoid conflict

Etymology: Compartmentalization is built from "compartmentalize" plus the suffix "-ation", and the verb itself is a late arrival. Its core is "compartment", which came into English from Middle French "compartiment", ultimately from Italian "compartimento", a word for dividing a space into sections. Those Italian roots go back to Latin "compartīrī", meaning "to divide into parts", built from "com-" (together) and "partīrī" (to share out). So the idea at the heart of the word is simple sharing-out: a whole split into shares. The "-ize" element arrived through Greek and Latin, with the adjective "compartmental" formed on the same pattern. The noun, which turns the action of dividing into a thing done or a state reached, follows the common English pattern of Latin "-ātiō" passing through Old French. Its meaning has widened from the literal partitioning of a room or box into the figurative separation of ideas, duties or feelings into distinct mental or organizational units.

Synonyms: division, separation