courtyard

noun

court·​yard ˈkȯrt-ˌyärd 

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

Synonyms of courtyard

• patio
• quadrangle
• enclosure
• 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

Prosecutors also presented surveillance footage captured from a distance that Hull testified showed Robinson running across the rooftop of the Losee Center, a building on UVU’s campus near the courtyard where Kirk’s event was taking place. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Catch the sunset from a church courtyard in the island capital of Plaka. — Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2026

Today, its large courtyard terrace offers a stylish summer escape, with modern British dishes and cocktails. — Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Biergarten transports guests to a moonlit Oktoberfest set in a Bavarian village, where communal wooden tables line the courtyard and a German oompah band takes the stage each hour. — Jacqueline Dole, Southern Living, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for courtyard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• debarred
• diehard
• disbarred

Kids Definition

courtyard

noun

court·​yard -ˌyärd 

: a court or enclosure next to a building