the inside space of a building, which is enclosed on all sides and has a roof
Grammar Patterns
the + noun
adjective + noun
Common Mistakes
They ate dinner in the covered courtyard while it rained outside.
They ate dinner in the courtyard, which was open to the sky.
A courtyard is an outdoor space open above; if it has a roof over the whole area, it is a hall or atrium, not a courtyard.
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words describe outdoor spaces connected to buildings, but they differ in size, function, and enclosure. A yard is the most general term — it is any open area next to a house or building, often with grass or soil, and may or may not be fully enclosed. A patio is smaller and specifically paved, attached directly to a house for dining or relaxing. A plaza refers to a large public square in a city surrounded by streets and shops, not enclosed by walls. A quadrangle (or 'quad') is a formal, rectangular courtyard found in schools or universities, enclosed on all four sides by buildings. For example, students eat lunch on the grass in the yard behind the dormitory, but they walk through the paved quadrangle between classes at the university.
Courtyard combines two Old English and Old French sources: 'court' (from Old French 'cort', meaning an enclosed area or royal residence) and 'yard' (from Old English 'geard', meaning an enclosed piece of land). The word has been used since the 1500s to describe an open area enclosed by the walls of a building.