schoolyard

schoolyard — noun

1. The open area of land directly around a school building, where students go durin

1.nounB1
Definition

The open area of land directly around a school building, where students go during breaks to talk, run, or play games.

Example

Tuan and Amira played tag in the schoolyard during the morning break.

collocation: play tag in the schoolyard

The schoolyard was completely empty because the students were on a class trip.

passive description: the schoolyard was [state]

Common collocations
  • in the schoolyard
  • across the schoolyard
  • schoolyard gate
  • schoolyard fence
  • empty schoolyard
Synonyms
  • playground

    Can be a public park with play equipment, not tied to a school

  • campus

    Refers to the whole school site including buildings, not just the outdoor area

Usage Note

Unlike 'playground', which may refer to an independent public play area, 'schoolyard' always belongs to or is attached to a school.

Common Mistakes

The children played in the schoolyard park.
The children played in the schoolyard.
'schoolyard' already includes the outdoor area; adding 'park' is redundant.

Word family

  • school
    nounA1
  • yard
    nounA2
  • schoolmate
    nounB1
  • schoolwork
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Schoolyard, playground, campus, and school grounds all refer to outdoor areas connected to education, but they differ in scope and usage. 'Schoolyard' is the most specific — it describes the open area right next to a school building where children play during breaks. 'Playground' is broader: it can be a public park with swings and slides, not necessarily linked to any school. 'Campus' covers the entire school property, including buildings, car parks, and sports fields. 'School grounds' is a more formal phrase meaning roughly the same as campus but often emphasises the outdoor spaces. For example: 'The children ran into the schoolyard when the bell rang' (play area at school), versus 'The university campus covers fifty acres' (whole site including lecture halls).

playground ↗campus ↗school grounds

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • in the schoolyard
  • across the schoolyard
  • schoolyard bullying

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinEnglish

Schoolyard is a compound of 'school' (from Old English 'scōl', via Latin 'schola', meaning a place of learning) and 'yard' (from Old English 'geard', meaning an enclosed piece of ground). The word has been in use since the early 1700s, combining the two familiar words to name the open outdoor area belonging to a school.