courtyard

American  

[kawrt-yahrd, kohrt-] / ˈkɔrtˌjɑrd, ˈkoʊrt- /

noun

• courtyards
  plural

1. a court open to the sky, especially one enclosed on all four sides.

---

courtyard British  

/ ˈkɔːtˌjɑːd /

noun

1. an open area of ground surrounded by walls or buildings; court

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• courtyards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of courtyard

First recorded in 1545–55; court + yard ²

Explanation

A courtyard is an area outside a building that's framed and somewhat enclosed by walls. Your friend might ask you to meet her in the courtyard of her apartment complex. In cities, courtyards provide small, private outdoor areas. Courtyards are often nestled between buildings, or tucked away behind them. For nearly as long as people have built houses and buildings, courtyards have existed — although in the past, they were used for keeping animals, cooking over an open fire, and sometimes even sleeping. The word dates from the 1550s, combining court, from the Latin cohors, "enclosed yard," and yard, from a Germanic root also meaning "enclosure."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

courtyard courtyards

Ryan is now seeking to turn the museum and its courtyard into a functional “town square,” with places for people to congregate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Elsewhere on Saturday, French luxury house Hermes presented its women's collection in the courtyard of the elite Republican Guard police unit in Paris, making the zip its leitmotif and the ultra-fine strap an accessory.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

"But a Turning Point representative insisted that Kirk speak at a campus courtyard because he had been there previously and the organisation was familiar with the location," it adds.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

The property comes complete with a private courtyard and a two-car garage that has an elevator.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

Then we take a deep breath and enter the courtyard in silence, barely breathing.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Those who stayed, most of them elderly, got used to cooking over open fires in their courtyards and the sound of drones buzzing overhead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

At the nearby St John's Way estate, the houses are arranged in circular terraced blocks with large courtyards.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

To protect worshippers from the extreme heat, authorities rely on one of the most powerful air conditioning systems in the world to cool the Grand Mosque's courtyards, according to Saudi state television.

From Barron's ● May 25, 2026

Opening in 2028, the Broad expansion will contain 70% more gallery space, two outdoor courtyards, a live programming space and views of the museum’s art storage vault.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026

The old lord kept mostly in his own apartments, coming forth mornings to pace up and down the snowy inner courtyards of the castle-keep like an old sorcerer who has been brewing spells all night.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• lawn
• patio
• yard