last known date

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "last known date" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the most recent date that is recorded or recognized for a particular event or situation. Example: "The last known date of the project's completion was March 15, 2023."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

If a patient had not expired, the patient was censored at the time of last contact (last known date alive).

British Journal of Cancer

Follow-up continued until the date of diagnosis, date of death, study end date (31 December 1998), or last known date before loss to follow-up, whichever was earliest.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Both the exterior and internal glyphs bear the last known date recorded at Quiriguá, falling in June 810.

Wikipedia

Of 331 individuals, the last known date when the patient was reported to be alive was used for statistical analysis.

Plosone

Follow-up time for each person was calculated as the difference between the NHANES III examination date and the last known date alive or censored [57].

Plosone

Alternatively, censoring was done at the last known date the patient was alive.

BMC Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Two other exit dates were created by using the CDSC last known alive date instead of the TCR and CDSC dates of death, and by omitting the steps involving the dates of death and only using the cancer diagnosis date and the person's 60th birthday.

British Journal of Cancer

Follow-up time for this biomarker cohort was calculated from the date of the first surgical procedure to the date of the first event, as outlined below, or to the last known confirmed date of breast cancer disease-free status.

British Journal of Cancer

Rulers of Toniná recorded in the Maya script on Toniná monuments include: The last known recorded date at the site is featured on Monument 101 as 15 January 909 CE.

Wikipedia

As such we assumed patients were still 'LabCorp patients' for up to 3 months following their last known accession date.

BMC Nephrology

For men and women with AIDS, expected cancers were generally lowest and SIRs were generally highest for exit dates based on dates of death rather than last known alive dates.

British Journal of Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "last known date" in research papers, clearly define what the date represents (e.g., "last known date of contact", "last known date of observation") to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "last known date" as a definitive end point without acknowledging potential limitations. State clearly that the data is censored at that point and that the actual event may have occurred later.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "last known date" functions primarily as a noun phrase used to specify the most recent point in time for which information is available. As shown in Ludwig's examples, it often appears in research papers and formal reports.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

80%

Wiki

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

News & Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "last known date" is a phrase primarily used in scientific and technical contexts to denote the most recent recorded date for a particular event or status. Ludwig AI shows that it is grammatically correct and commonly appears in research papers, often related to survival analysis and follow-up studies. While the phrase is more formal, alternatives like ""most recent date"" may be suitable in less formal settings. It's important to clearly define what the "last known date" represents in each specific context to avoid ambiguity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

latest recorded date

Replaces "last known" with "latest recorded", emphasizing the recency of the information.

most recent date

Uses "most recent" instead of "last known", offering a simpler alternative.

last date of record

Swaps "known" for "of record", highlighting the existence of a formal record.

final recorded date

Emphasizes the finality of the date, implying no further updates.

date of last contact

Specifically refers to the date when contact was last made, common in follow-up scenarios.

date of last observation

Applicable when the date marks the last time something was observed or monitored.

last date documented

Similar to "last date of record", highlighting that the date is officially documented.

ultimate known date

Adds a sense of finality and certainty to the date.

date of cessation

Indicates the date when something stopped or ceased.

date of termination

Implies the date when something was officially terminated or concluded.

FAQs

How is "last known date" typically used in research studies?

In research, "last known date" often refers to the most recent date a subject was confirmed to be alive or disease-free. It's used to censor data in survival analysis when the exact date of an event (like death or disease progression) is unknown.

What does it mean to censor data at the "last known date"?

Censoring at the "last known date" means that for individuals who haven't experienced the event of interest (e.g., death) by the end of the study period, their follow-up time is counted up to their "last date of contact" or the study's end date. It acknowledges that they were still 'at risk' up to that point.

Which is more appropriate: "last known date" or "most recent date"?

Both "last known date" and "most recent date" are valid. "Last known date" is often used in scientific or medical contexts when dealing with patient follow-up or data censoring, while "most recent date" is more general.

Can I use "last known date" in a non-scientific context?

Yes, "last known date" can be used in various contexts. For example, "The "latest recorded date" for his whereabouts was July 15th". However, it's more common in fields requiring precise record-keeping like science, medicine, or law.