courtyard

American  

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

noun

courtyards plural

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

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courtyard British  

/ ˈkɔːtˌjɑːd /

noun

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

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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

He was speaking from the shaded courtyard garden of his Mayer am Pfarrplatz heuriger, down the steps from the room where Beethoven stayed while composing part of the Ninth Symphony.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

There will be a public courtyard and pedestrian pathways.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

But as the sun began to set on an impromptu vigil in the courtyard of Springfield City Hall, Haitian Springfielders and their neighbors made clear they weren’t willing to give up so easily.

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026

“They’re pummeling us every day,” said a woman pensioner sitting among her friends on benches in a leafy courtyard of a Soviet-era apartment block.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

It didn’t help, therefore, that the hallway beyond the courtyard ended in a room with three different doors.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

So people buried their loved ones in courtyards, at playgrounds and on street corners.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

Looming over the colorless town is its hulking circa-1385 monastery, extended in convent courtyards and stately chapels with lofty naves, offering dazzling displays of stained glass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 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

Formal living and dining spaces flow easily onto shaded terraces and courtyards, reinforcing the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that has long defined Palm Springs living.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 2026

The village itself has courtyards and public squares.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• lawn
• patio
• yard