curtilage

American  

[kur-tl-ij] / ˈkɜr tl ɪdʒ /

noun

Law.

1. the area of land occupied by a dwelling and its yard and outbuildings, actually enclosed or considered as enclosed.

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curtilage British  

/ ˈkɜːtɪlɪdʒ /

noun

1. the enclosed area of land adjacent to a dwelling house

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Etymology

Origin of curtilage

1250–1300; Middle English courtelage < Anglo-French; Old French cortillage, equivalent to cortil yard ( cort court + -il diminutive suffix) + -age -age

Example Sentences

Thousands of people from around the world “walked together” into that book and the mountains it describes, at a time when most of us could go no further than the curtilage of our dwellings.

From New York Times

The appeals judges wrote that “it is undisputed that Dockery was within the curtilage of defendant’s property — and therefore, within his home … when defendant utilized defensive force against him.”

From Seattle Times

A curtilage is the area within the outer boundary of a home’s environs: the patios, yard and driveway.

From Economist

But Sotomayor wrote: “Nothing in our case law . . . suggests that the automobile exception gives an officer the right to enter a home or its curtilage to access a vehicle without a warrant.”

From Washington Post

“The question before the court,” she wrote, “is whether the automobile exception justifies the invasion of the curtilage. The answer is no.”

From New York Times

Related Words

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