courtyard

noun

court·​yard ˈkȯrt-ˌyärd How to pronounce courtyard (audio)
: a court or enclosure adjacent to a building (such as a house or palace)

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 The Downey Space Shuttle Exhibit and Education Building would add a new two-story, 29,000-square foot space shuttle museum, event courtyard, STEM building and courtyard, children’s outdoor classroom, pavilion, lawn and other amenities to the complex. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 Walk through the historic city center, admiring its colorful courtyards and picturesque streets. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2024 The building’s other amenities include a courtyard, a fitness center, and a screening room, among other spaces. Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2024 My mother was telling me about getting to witness a scene involving Meryl Streep and Martin Short in the building courtyard. Asher Price, Axios, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for courtyard 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'courtyard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of courtyard was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near courtyard

Cite this Entry

“Courtyard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courtyard. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

courtyard

noun
court·​yard -ˌyärd How to pronounce courtyard (audio)
: a court or enclosure next to a building

More from Merriam-Webster on courtyard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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