courtyard

noun

court·​yard ˈkȯrt-ˌyärd 

: a court or enclosure adjacent to a building (such as a house or palace)

Synonyms

• close
• court
• enclosure
• inclosure
• patio
• quad
• quadrangle
• yard

Examples of courtyard in a Sentence

The apartment overlooks a courtyard.

a series of lunchtime concerts in the museum's open-air courtyard

Recent Examples on the Web

Fisher’s stone pieces are installed throughout the rooms and the courtyard, showing the medium’s possibilities at every scale, from a 600-pound stone planter that looks like a chalice to a light of silver links that dangles to the floor like a bracelet. —Morgan Meier, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2024

Their first meal together soon led to chatty walks in the courtyard. —Erin Clack, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Reminiscing about his childhood sweetheart, the 45-year-old avionics technician talks about how the young pair would meet in a courtyard near his uncle’s house. —Sally Abou Aljoud, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

Photo : William Myers for Sotheby’s International Realty A secluded courtyard. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

courtyard

noun

court·​yard -ˌyärd 

: a court or enclosure next to a building