backyard

1 of 2

noun

back·​yard ˈbak-ˈyärd 

1

: an area at the rear of a house

2

: a nearby area : neighborhood

crimes committed in our own backyard

backyard

2 of 2

adjective

: located or occurring in a backyard

a backyard barbecue

also : lacking professional training : amateur

a backyard breeder

Synonyms

Noun

• environs
• neighborhood
• purlieus
• vicinage
• vicinity

Adjective

• amateur
• avocational
• jackleg
• nonprofessional
• Sunday

Examples of backyard in a Sentence

Noun

We spent the evening relaxing in the backyard.

shocked to learn that the wind farm would be right in our own backyard

Adjective

an orchid that is a favorite with backyard horticulturists

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Of those, 103 were commercial flocks, while the remaining were backyard flocks. —Rebekah Riess, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025

China's growing presence in America's backyard could grant the communist country access to Florida's coast, coinciding with a dramatic rise in Chinese national border encounters. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2025

Adjective

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the person was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. —Daniel Wine, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024

Some Americans are increasingly exploring backyard chicken farming as an option, seeking to gain greater control over their food supply. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1719, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

backyard

noun

back·​yard

-ˈyärd

1

: an area in back of a house

2

: an area in which one has a special interest