over the year

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "over the year" is correct and usable in written English.
You could use it to describe the period of time from one year to the next, such as in the sentence "Sales have grown exponentially over the year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Polar ice levels fluctuate over the year.

Columbia University

Over the year GDP was up 1.6%.

The Guardian - Business

Refill and use over the year ahead.

The Times

Now, what does wheat do over the year?

Yale University

They also achieved better academic performance over the year.

Stanford University

I think that will increase over the year".

The New York Times - Tech

Over the year, five countries recorded double-digit price growth.

The Guardian - Money

Net mortgage lending over the year was £11.8 billion.

Independent

Fluctuations in transit ridership pattern over the year have always concerned transport planners, operators and researchers.

Journal of Transport Geography

In London, rents were up 3.7% over the year.

The Guardian - Business

Currently, you'd get dividends of around £390 over the year.

The Guardian - Money

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "over the year" to describe trends, changes, or developments that occur during the entire span of a year. For example, "The company's profits increased significantly "over the year".

Common error

Avoid using "over the year" when referring to a specific date or event within the year. Instead, use "during", "in", or "on". For example, don't say "The meeting is scheduled "over the year"", say "The meeting is scheduled in July".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "over the year" primarily functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying verbs or clauses to specify a timeframe encompassing a full year. Ludwig examples show it describing changes, trends, or developments occurring during that period. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

27%

Academia

19%

Less common in

Formal & Business

9%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "over the year" is a grammatically correct and very common adverbial phrase used to specify a timeframe encompassing a full year. According to Ludwig AI, it is widely used across various contexts including news, science, and academia. Its primary function is to provide a temporal context, indicating when a particular change, trend, or event takes place. While versatile, it should not be used to refer to specific dates within a year. Alternatives include "throughout the year" and "during the year". The phrase has high source quality and expert rating. Usage patterns show frequent usage in News & Media, Science, and Academia.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

throughout the year

Replaces "over" with "throughout", emphasizing the continuous nature of the duration.

during the year

Uses "during" to specify an event occurring within the boundaries of a year.

in the course of the year

A more formal way of expressing the same duration, highlighting the progression of time.

across the year

Similar to "over the year", indicating a span or distribution across the yearly period.

in the span of a year

Emphasizes the duration as a complete unit of time.

within a year's time

Highlights the temporal boundary of one year.

in the period of one year

A more specific and formal way of denoting a year-long duration.

for the duration of the year

Stresses the continuous nature of the timeframe.

spanning the year

Implies that something extends or covers the entire year.

from year to year

Indicates a comparison or progression between consecutive years, rather than within a single year.

FAQs

How can I use "over the year" in a sentence?

Use "over the year" to indicate changes, trends, or developments that happen during the entire period of a year. For instance, "The cost of living has increased "over the year".

What are some alternatives to saying "over the year"?

You can use alternatives such as "throughout the year", "during the year", or "in the course of the year" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "across the year" instead of "over the year"?

"Across the year" is a possible alternative, though less common. "Over the year" is more frequently used to indicate something happening during the year's duration.

What's the difference between "over the year" and "from year to year"?

"Over the year" refers to the changes or trends within a single year. "From year to year" compares different years to each other, indicating annual comparisons or changes from one year to the next.