about a week prior

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "about a week prior" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a time frame that is approximately one week before a specific event or date. Example: "The meeting was scheduled for March 15, and I had sent out the invitations about a week prior."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

This could be explained in terms of higher solute dissolution as the month of November 2010 experienced appreciable amounts of rainfall about a week prior to the sampling compared to January 2011.

Applied Water Science

It was taken about a week prior, in a period of escalating gang violence related to the release of key players from prison.

Vice

Husainy, who serves at the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, told The Huffington Post that he saw a notification about Hager's mother's death on Facebook about a week prior to the signing of the order.

Huffington Post

On 5 September 2013, the PlayStation Blog announced that a demo for Beyond: Two Souls would be released 1 October 2013 in the United States, 2 October for Europe, and 3 October for Japan, about a week prior to the full game's worldwide release.

Wikipedia

Because it had published an op-ed touting charters about a week prior to Ms. Armao's love letter, I sent a letter to the editor on September 23 pointing out the above finding and wondering why Ruth Marcus, normally one of the Post's best op-ed people, Arne Duncan and President Obama would be touting such a failed reform, forcing states to lift caps on charters to get stimulus money.

Huffington Post

However, one particular fish that was injured by a cormorant, about a week prior to blood sampling showed a particularly strong immune response towards SpSsp115 481-His.

Fungal Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Compare two possible procedures she might use: in process (i) she sends each Board member an individual e-mail about the idea a week prior to the meeting; in process (ii) she springs it on them collectively at the meeting.

SEP

It struck eastern Massachusetts about 100 mile east of where Hurricane Carol struck only a week prior.

Wikipedia

All readings are emailed a week prior.

Stanford University

Again, this was impossible a week prior.

TechCrunch

A week prior the fan was Attila the Hun.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider your audience and the overall tone of your writing. While "about a week prior" is generally acceptable, more formal contexts may benefit from a more precise alternative like "approximately seven days before".

Common error

Avoid using "about a week prior" without a clear point of reference. Without a specified event or date, the phrase becomes vague and uninformative. Always provide context to establish what the week is prior to.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "about a week prior" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb by specifying a time frame. It indicates when an event occurred relative to another, similar to the examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "about a week prior" is a useful phrase for indicating that an event occurred approximately one week before a specific point in time. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. While not exceptionally common, the phrase appears in diverse contexts such as Science, News & Media, and Academia. For more formal writing, alternatives such as "approximately one week before" might be considered. When using this phrase, remember to provide a clear reference point to avoid ambiguity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Approximately one week before

Uses "approximately" for a more formal tone, emphasizing the estimation of time.

Roughly a week earlier

Replaces "prior" with "earlier" for simpler phrasing.

About seven days before

Specifies the time frame in days for increased precision, avoiding the word 'week'.

A week or so before

Adds "or so" to indicate a slight uncertainty in the timing.

One week preceding

Uses "preceding" for a more formal and literary tone.

In the week leading up to

Emphasizes the period leading to the event, not just the point in time.

Seven days in advance

Focuses on the "advance" notice or preparation time.

A week ahead of

Uses "ahead of" for a simpler and more direct expression.

The week before

Shortens the phrase for brevity, assuming context clarifies the approximation.

About a week in advance of

Reiterates 'in advance' for emphasis, ensuring clear understanding of timing.

FAQs

How can I use "about a week prior" in a sentence?

Use "about a week prior" to indicate that something occurred approximately one week before a specific event. For example, "The invitations were sent out "about a week prior" to the party".

Which is more formal, "about a week prior" or "approximately one week before"?

"Approximately one week before" is more formal. "About a week prior" is suitable for general use, while "approximately one week before" is better for professional or academic writing.

What's the difference between "about a week prior" and "a week before"?

"About a week prior" implies an approximation, while "a week before" suggests a more precise timeframe. The use of "about" introduces a degree of uncertainty. You can use alternatives like "roughly a week earlier".

What can I say instead of "about a week prior" to sound more professional?

To sound more professional, use alternatives like "approximately one week before" or "one week preceding". These phrases provide a more formal tone.