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

Risk of infection is highest among people in the dairy and poultry industries who make direct contact with infected animals, or among people, such as the Louisiana man, who keep backyard flocks that could get sick from contact with infected animals in the wild. —Alice Park, TIME, 8 Jan. 2025

The person became ill after contact with a combination of a backyard flock and wild birds, officials said. —Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025

Adjective

While an investigation into the source of the infection is ongoing, it has been determined that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. —Jess Thomson, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025

During wintertime, eggs from backyard chicken coops are more susceptible to cracking due to the cold temperatures. —Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 2 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