during the prior month

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "during the prior month" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a specific time frame that occurred in the month before the current one. Example: "The sales figures for our product increased significantly during the prior month, indicating a positive trend."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(1) and (2) of this section, VA pays per diem on a monthly basis for care provided during the prior month.

Cornell University

A provision in the "compensation" section of the contract required Mr. Gingrich to submit a "detailed description of the services performed during the prior month" on the 15th of every month.

The New York Times

And they spent 15.2 minutes on the site, compared to 13.1 minutes during the prior month.

TechCrunch

While the number of SHLD shares sold short dropped by nearly 8% during the prior month, more than nine million remain.

Forbes

Finally, short interest rose by more than 13% during the prior month, resulting in about 30.7 million XLNX shares sold short.

Forbes

That said, short sellers appear to be in the process of liquidating their positions, as the number of EAT shares sold short dropped by 27% during the prior month.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

Dollar Capture – Since most companies consider January the start of a new fiscal year, they often have budget dollars available that they could not spend during the prior December.

Forbes

For studies in which an intervention took place during a certain month, the prior month(s) were included as pre-intervention and following month(s) as post-intervention, but the actual month of intervention was excluded from these periods.

BMC Infectious Diseases

On a trailing twelve month basis ending Sept. 30, 2010, Latitude posted revenue of approximately $7.8 million, up 46percentt over its revenues during the prior twelve month period.

TechCrunch

Netflix announced that it returned to profitability in the second quarter, after a slight dip into the red during the prior three-month period.

TechCrunch

Despite my years of clinical experience, I was surprised by our initial findings: Of the first 50 inpatients completing the questions, nearly 50percentt had thought about ending their life during the month prior to admission, and nearly 25percentt had made at least one prior attempt during their lifetime.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "during the prior month", ensure the context clearly establishes the reference point in time for accurate interpretation. For clarity, especially in formal writing, specify the year if there's potential for ambiguity.

Common error

A common mistake is not providing enough context, leading to confusion about which month is being referenced. To avoid this, always ensure the surrounding text clearly indicates the timeframe or anchor point to which "during the prior month" refers. Using specific dates or events helps eliminate ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "during the prior month" functions as a prepositional phrase, modifying a verb or noun to specify the timing of an action or event. It establishes a timeframe, indicating that something occurred within the month immediately preceding the current one. Ludwig confirms its validity.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

33%

Academia

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "during the prior month" is a grammatically sound prepositional phrase used to specify a timeframe - the month immediately preceding the current one. Ludwig AI confirms its usability. While "last month" is a less formal and more concise alternative, "during the prior month" offers a level of precision suitable for neutral to formal contexts. Its frequent use in scientific, news, and academic sources demonstrates its relevance in providing temporal context. Be sure to use the surrounding text to clarify the time frame to which you refer.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in the preceding month

Replaces "prior" with "preceding", maintaining the same temporal relationship.

in the previous month

Substitutes "prior" with "previous", providing a more common and slightly less formal alternative.

last month

Uses a more concise and informal expression for the same period.

in the month before

Emphasizes the sequential relationship of the months.

during the month preceding this one

Expands the phrase for clarity, suitable for formal contexts.

over the course of last month

Highlights the duration of time within the specified month.

throughout the prior month

Similar to "during", but emphasizes continuous action or state.

in the month that just ended

More descriptive, clarifying that the month has concluded.

for the entirety of last month

Emphasizes the complete duration of the month.

the month immediately before this one

Highly formal and precise, specifying the temporal order.

FAQs

How can I use "during the prior month" in a sentence?

Use "during the prior month" to refer to events, activities, or data related to the month immediately preceding the current one. For example, "Sales increased significantly "during the prior month", signaling a positive trend".

What's a less formal alternative to "during the prior month"?

A less formal alternative is "last month". For example, instead of "during the prior month, we experienced a surge in demand", you can say "last month, we experienced a surge in demand".

Is there a difference between "during the prior month" and "during the previous month"?

The phrases "during the prior month" and "during the previous month" are largely interchangeable. "Previous" is slightly more common and less formal than "prior", but they convey the same meaning in most contexts.

When should I use "during the prior month" instead of "during the past month"?

"During the prior month" refers specifically to the month immediately preceding the current one. "During the past month" can refer to any month within the last month (30 days). If you need to be precise about the immediately preceding month, "during the prior month" is more appropriate.