courtyard

noun

ˈkȯrt-ˌyärd How to pronounce courtyard (audio)
Definition of courtyardnext
as in patio
an open space wholly or partly enclosed (as by buildings or walls) a series of lunchtime concerts in the museum's open-air courtyard

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of courtyard According to investigators, the killer opened fire from a rooftop on the far side of the packed courtyard, which was full of spectators. — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Rooms Twenty guest rooms are carved out into corners around the central courtyard. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026 On Monday, in the early morning, cheerleaders flanked the entrance to the courtyard, cheering and shaking their pom-poms as their classmates filed in, showing varying degrees of enthusiasm. — Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026 The ceremony took place in a cobblestone courtyard at Finca Comassema overlooking the Tramuntana Mountains. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for courtyard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courtyard
  1. patio
  2. quadrangle
  3. enclosure
  4. yard
Noun
  • Blending Southwestern aesthetics with space-travel inspiration, this accommodation sports colonial-style French doors that open directly onto a private patio overlooking the terrace garden and pool.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The property has a bluestone patio and a rooftop deck featuring a firepit, two heaters, a fan, seating, and a kitchen equipped with a Saffire smoker, double kegerator, refrigerator and a stainless steel sink.
    — Kim Quillen, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of patio
Noun
  • Each of those quadrangles of land can produce 7 million pounds of corn or 2 million pounds of soybeans in a summer.
    — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 July 2026
  • The students are lined up in their hundreds− across the student center mezzanine, down the stairs and out into the hot Florida Spring of the quadrangle.
    — Will Carless, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of quadrangle
Noun
  • Trees fell during a macroburst, crushing animal enclosures at The Zoo in Forest Park in Springfield, Massachusetts.
    — Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In some cases, the appropriate intervention may involve a connector, harness, enclosure, cooling component or serviceable module rather than disposal of an entire pack.
    — Oleksandr Chumachenko, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of enclosure
Noun
  • Eduard Löwen played an inward-arcing corner kick and the 6-foot-1 Beecher slammed home a header from 5 yards out in the 27th minute.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The fourth- and fifth-string backs also found the end zone — Brittain Brown on a 6-yard pass from Keenum and undrafted rookie Coleman Bennett on a 3-yard run.
    — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of yard

Browse Nearby Words

courts of law
courtyard
courtyards
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Cite this Entry

“Courtyard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtyard. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on courtyard

Nglish: Translation of courtyard for Spanish Speakers

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