A light court is an open shaft of space surrounded entirely by a building's walls, which provides extra light to a building's interior, but which does not have a courtyard at the bottom.

If a central court is sheltered by glass or any other covering, then it is not considered a light court, and is classified (depending on its height and content) as an atrium, wintergarden, or simply a skylit room. If the bottom of an open court is accessible to tenants or the public, it is a courtyard rather than a light court.

The shaft supplies light between enclosing building walls while its bottom lacks an accessible courtyard. Tenant or public access at the bottom changes that distinction, and a glass roof closes the shaft to the sky even though daylight can still enter.