Meaning & use
backyard
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Meanings
nouncountable
An area of land behind a house, often used for gardening, play, or relaxing.
Grammar: Countable; can be used with 'a' or in the plural: a backyard, two backyards.
Patterns
- in the backyard
- a backyard garden
- a backyard pool
The children are playing in the backyard.
We grow tomatoes in our backyard.
They have a small backyard with a fence around it.
nounsingularfigurative
A place or area very close to where someone lives or works, often used figuratively.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'right in our backyard' to mean very near us.
Patterns
- in someone's backyard
- right in our backyard
The factory is right in our backyard, so we can walk there.
They don't want a new airport in their backyard.
Word forms
| plural | backyards |
|---|
Common combinations
- in the backyard
- The dog is running in the backyard.
- backyard garden
- She spends hours in her backyard garden.
- backyard barbecue
- We had a backyard barbecue last weekend.
- backyard pool
- They installed a backyard pool for the summer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- yard
- In American English, 'yard' often means the whole area around a house, while 'backyard' specifically means the area behind it.
- garden
- In British English, 'garden' is the usual word for the area behind a house; 'backyard' is more American and often suggests a smaller or plainer space.
Opposites
Word family
- yard noun
- An area of land around or next to a building.
Commonly confused: backyard or back yard?
backyard vs back yard
The separate words 'back yard' are also used, but the single word 'backyard' is more common, especially in American English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'backyard' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Backyard' is a countable noun, so it needs 'the' or 'a' when singular. 'In the backyard' is the natural phrase; 'in backyard' is missing a determiner, and 'in a backyard' is possible but less common when talking about your own home.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “backyard”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.