Prior week

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Prior week" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to the week immediately before the current week. For example, "Sales increased compared to the prior week." Alternative expressions include "previous week" and "last week."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Weekly employees are paid on Friday's for the prior week.

Harvard University

In the prior week, the index rose to a record 1,317.

The New York Times

Time approvers need not wait until the following Tuesday to approve hours for the prior week.

Harvard University

Approvals should be done by Tuesday at noon EST, for hours reported in the prior week.

Harvard University

Prices are listed by feed variety and included price changes from the prior week.

Cornell University

Also included are the prices from the prior week and year.

Cornell University

It wasn't "chateau" anything, and it was probably made the prior week.

The New York Times

About 733,000 total viewers for its first showing, up 24 percent from the prior week.

The New York Times

The Mortgage Bankers Association of America's mortgage applications index fell 8.1percentto to 862.7 from 939 in the prior week.

The New York Times

The prior week saw the Dow plunge 9.5percentt, capped by the first-ever 100-point daily decline on Friday.

The New York Times

During any given week, the test each student took depended on the student's performance the prior week.

The New York Times - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always ensure the context clearly establishes the timeframe being referenced to avoid ambiguity. For instance, when comparing data sets across time, be explicit about which "Prior week" you are referencing.

Common error

Avoid using "Prior week" interchangeably with terms like "Previous weeks" or "Weeks before" without adjusting your verb tenses and context accordingly. "Prior week" refers specifically to the single week immediately preceding the current one.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "Prior week" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun, typically to specify a time period. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's used to refer to the week immediately preceding the current one. For example, "the approval should be done by Tuesday at noon EST, for hours reported in the prior week".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

35%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "Prior week" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression for referencing the week immediately preceding the current one. Ludwig AI confirms its versatility across diverse contexts, including news, academia, and business. While alternatives like "last week" exist, "Prior week" offers a slightly more formal tone suitable for professional and academic writing. It's important to ensure clarity in your writing by explicitly defining the timeframe when comparing data across different weeks, preventing potential ambiguity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Previous week

Replaces "prior" with "previous", maintaining the same meaning.

Last week

A more common and informal synonym for "prior week".

The week before

Expresses the temporal relationship in a slightly different word order.

Preceding week

A more formal alternative, using "preceding" instead of "prior".

Week ago

A shortened, less formal version.

A week prior

Reverses the order and uses 'a' instead of 'the'.

Week immediately before

More explicit and less concise phrasing.

The week that just passed

An informal, conversational alternative.

In the week before this one

A verbose and descriptive variation.

The week gone by

A slightly poetic and less common alternative.

FAQs

How can I use "Prior week" in a sentence?

You can use "Prior week" to refer to the week immediately before the current one, for example: "Sales increased compared to the "prior week"".

What's the difference between "Prior week" and "Last week"?

"Last week" is a more common and informal way to say "prior week". Both refer to the week immediately before the current one, but "Prior week" has a slightly more formal tone.

Is it ever incorrect to use "Prior week"?

No, it's generally grammatically correct and acceptable to use "Prior week", but it might sound overly formal in casual conversation. Choose "last week" instead for a more informal setting.

What phrases are similar to "Prior week"?

Similar phrases include "previous week", "the week before", or "week ago". The best choice depends on the specific context and desired level of formality.