courtyard

noun

court·​yard ˈkȯrt-ˌyärd How to pronounce courtyard (audio)
: a court or enclosure adjacent to a building (such as a house or palace)

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
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.
Waking up might mean a view overlooking the courtyard garden and dining at the hotel’s elegant 24/7 cafe, Le Jardin. Dalya Benor, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2024 June Bloom Lavender, situated in the same courtyard, is overflowing with lavender goods. Nicole Cobler, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024 In the college courtyard, after the people had all gone home for the day, the roses remained, still growing at their own stately pace. Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024 On a recent morning, Ms. Diallo, whose husband was killed in the courtyard, prepared okra and cassava dough in a home in Ivory Coast rented by her father, who fled Burkina Faso earlier this year with 12 other family members. Arlette Bashizi, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for courtyard 

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of courtyard was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near courtyard

Cite this Entry

“Courtyard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courtyard. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

courtyard

noun
court·​yard -ˌyärd How to pronounce courtyard (audio)
: a court or enclosure next to a building

More from Merriam-Webster on courtyard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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