compartmentation

English

Etymology

From compartment +‎ -ation.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpɑːtmɛnˈteɪʃn̩/
• (US) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpɑɹtmɛnˈteɪʃn̩/

Noun

compartmentation (plural compartmentations)

1. Division into compartments; compartmentalization.
   1. So as to prevent the spread of fire within a structure.

      The fire spread rapidly after the building's compartmentation failed.

      • 1958, Gunner's Mate 3: Navy Training Courses‎, Bureau of Naval Personnel, page 191:

        The reason for this compartmentation is FLAMETIGHT INTEGRITY. The purpose should be obvious: Propellent powder in flammable silk bags is always dangerous; compartmentation confines flame and explosive gas to the space in which it originates.

   2. So as to prevent the spread of water (or rarely, another fluid) between otherwise watertight compartments (especially on a ship).

      The Titanic's compartmentation did not stop water from entering rooms.

      • 1937, “Naval Expansion Program”, in Hearing Before the Committee on Naval Affairs‎, United States: Government Printing Office, page 238:

        Compartmentation of the hull.—It has become the accepted practice in conventional rigid-airship construction to subdivide the buoyant gas into numerous independent containers […]

2. (military) The dissemination of information and knowledge between different people or organisations on a need-to-know basis, so as to reduce the risk of espionage should one person or organisation be compromised externally; compartmentalization.
   • 1956, Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy‎, volume 1, Washington: Joint Commission on Atomic Energy:

     Nevertheless the principles of compartmentation of information and need to know are essential to secrecy.

Derived terms

• microcompartmentation