compared with prior years

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "compared with prior years" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing changes, trends, or differences in data or situations over time, specifically in relation to previous years. Example: "The company's revenue has increased significantly compared with prior years, indicating a positive growth trend."

✓ Grammatically correct

Bioinformatics

News & Media

Science & Research

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

> Compared with prior years, five mature topic areas had steady submissions, 'Evolution and Comparative Genomics', 'Gene Regulation and Transcriptomics', 'Protein Structure and Function', 'Protein Interactions and Networks' and 'Sequence Analysis'.

Bioinformatics

A Bush administration official acknowledged that the growth in Medicare assumed in the budget "does seem pretty modest, compared with prior years," but cited several reasons for the differing estimates.

The New York Times

(The survey results can't be compared with prior years' surveys because of a change in methodology, including the addition of cellphones to the survey sample).

The New York Times

In fact, 2013 extensions were higher than ever compared with prior years.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

One is that customers are turning away from its sugary drinks, especially its various types of Frappuccinos, whose sales have fallen about 3% in 2018 compared with prior-year sales.

Forbes

But levels of enthusiasm are mixed - More from Gallup: "Though Americans are giving a lot of thought to the election, they are split on whether they are more enthusiastic (46%) or less enthusiastic (48%) about voting this year compared with prior election years.

Huffington Post

The corrected record now shows that sea level rose 2.6 millimeters to 2.9 millimeters per year since 1993, compared with prior estimates of 3.2 millimeters per year.

Science Magazine

A recent survey by the central bank reckoned that spending plans by firms on large new projects dropped by 46% in the year ending March 2012, compared with the prior year.

The Economist

Full year fiscal 2011 GAAP net revenue for the fiscal year 2011 was $127.2 billion, up 1% compared with the prior year.

TechCrunch

Receipts for September skidded 16.9percentt compared with the prior year's figure, according to the State Department of Taxation and Finance.

The New York Times

Still, Wachovia's commercial and industrial loans grew by 13percentt in June compared with the prior year, Mr. Evans said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "compared with prior years", ensure that the time frame for "prior years" is clearly defined to avoid ambiguity. For example, specify if you are comparing to the immediate preceding year or an average of the last five years.

Common error

Do not assume the reader knows which "prior years" are being referenced. Always specify the exact period being compared to, such as "compared with the average of the three prior years" rather than simply "compared with prior years".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "compared with prior years" functions as a prepositional phrase used for adverbial modification. Ludwig examples show it modifying nouns, verbs, and entire clauses by specifying a point of reference for comparison. Ludwig AI confirms it's a correct phrase.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "compared with prior years" is a grammatically sound prepositional phrase commonly used to provide a temporal comparison point. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's correctness. It appears most frequently in News & Media, Science, and Academia contexts. To enhance clarity, always specify the exact time frame being referenced. Alternatives include "in comparison to previous years" and "relative to prior years", with the former carrying a slightly more formal tone. While the phrase is correct, avoid ambiguity by clarifying which prior years are being compared.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in comparison to previous years

Replaces "compared with" with a more formal alternative, "in comparison to".

in comparison with earlier years

Variant using "earlier" instead of "prior".

compared against prior years

Substitutes "with" for "against", implying a slightly more rigorous comparison.

relative to prior years

Uses "relative to" to indicate a comparison or relationship.

versus previous years

Uses the simpler term "versus" for comparison.

when compared to preceding years

Uses "preceding" for a more formal tone.

as opposed to earlier years

Emphasizes a contrast with "as opposed to".

in relation to past years

Uses "in relation to" to denote a connection and comparison.

when contrasted with past years

Highlights the act of contrasting with a longer, more explicit phrase.

assessed against prior years

Implies a formal assessment or evaluation.

FAQs

What is an alternative to "compared with prior years"?

You can use alternatives like "in comparison to previous years", "relative to prior years", or "versus previous years" depending on the context.

How do I use "compared with prior years" in a sentence?

Use "compared with prior years" to show a change or trend. For example: "The company's revenue has increased significantly compared with prior years, indicating a positive growth trend."

Which is more formal, "compared with prior years" or "in comparison to previous years"?

"In comparison to previous years" is generally considered more formal than "compared with prior years". The latter is more commonly used in general writing.

What's the difference between "compared with prior years" and "compared to previous years"?

While both "compared with prior years" and "compared to previous years" are grammatically correct and often used interchangeably, "compared with" is generally preferred when highlighting similarities and differences, while "compared to" emphasizes similarities.