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

An open-air courtyard centers around a fountain, while the legendary pool—at 23,000 square feet, one of the largest hotel pools in the country and the largest on the East Coast—stretches beneath palms like something from a Gatsby daydream. —Lisa A. Beach, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026

Regina stood in front of the window overlooking the void that plunged down to the courtyard below, beyond the balcony railing. —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

The restaurant’s appeal is its luxe interior and seductive courtyard garden with olive and citrus trees. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026

Charmaine’s crowns the Proper Hotel with its fire pits and a style‑savvy crowd, and Bar Sprezzatura layers Venetian charm onto a tucked‑away courtyard. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 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