preceding month

USAGE SUMMARY

"preceding month" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to refer to the month preceding the current month. For example, you could say, "We had a record number of visitors to the museum last month, and the numbers for the preceding month were even higher."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

December numbers, which are beginning to come out this week, look even worse than those for the preceding month.

Forbes

In the preceding month, only 172,00 shares had been traded.

The New York Times

Reservations are essential; book for each month on the first day of the preceding month.

The New York Times - Travel

One in 20 parents, or about 3 million people, said they had smoked in the preceding month.

The New York Times - Style

The survey of 7,529 high school students, conducted last spring, found that 28.4percentt reported using tobacco products in the preceding month.

The New York Times

It measures stress appraisal during the preceding month.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

The average price in the preceding month was $58.

Forbes

Third, the level of perceived stress was measured for the preceding month.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

UNHCR estimates that 93% of households [with a member that needed medical care in the preceding month] had to pay for healthcare and that the average cost of health care paid in the preceding month was US$1366.

Journal of International Humanitarian Action

During the preceding month, acute medication was used by 90.9%% of the patients and prophylactic medication by 34%%.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Furthermore, during the second year of the study, data were collected every three months retrospectively for the preceding month.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "preceding month" in formal writing, ensure the context clearly establishes the reference point. For instance, if discussing data from June, specify that "preceding month" refers to May.

Common error

Avoid using "preceding month" without a clear temporal anchor. Without context, it's unclear which month is being referenced, potentially confusing the reader.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "preceding month" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun, typically to specify a timeframe. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a correct and usable phrase, effectively indicating the month that comes immediately before a specified or current month. It adds precision to temporal references.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

40%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "preceding month" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed term used to denote the month prior to a given one. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, its primary function is to add a degree of precision in temporal contexts, particularly in professional, scientific, and news-related writing. While interchangeable with ""previous month"" or "last month", "preceding month" lends itself well to more formal registers. When using this phrase, ensure a clear temporal anchor to avoid ambiguity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

previous month

Replaces "preceding" with "previous", a direct synonym maintaining identical meaning.

prior month

Substitutes "preceding" with "prior", offering a slightly more formal tone but equivalent meaning.

last month

A more common and informal way to refer to the month before the current one.

the month before

A slightly more descriptive way of saying "last month".

the month prior

A more formal and slightly less common way to express the same timeframe.

immediately prior month

Adds emphasis on the immediacy of the timeframe.

the month in question

Refers to a month already established in the conversation or text.

aforementioned month

Refers to a month previously mentioned explicitly.

the month earlier

Simple substitution using a more common adverb.

the month that just ended

More descriptive and less formal.

FAQs

How can I use "preceding month" in a sentence?

You can use "preceding month" to refer to the month before the current one in various contexts. For example, "Sales figures for the "previous month" were significantly higher than anticipated".

What's a more common way to say "preceding month"?

A more common and less formal way to say "preceding month" is "last month". While both phrases are grammatically correct, "last month" is more frequently used in everyday conversation.

Is there a difference between "preceding month" and "prior month"?

The terms "preceding month" and "prior month" are largely interchangeable, with "prior month" often perceived as slightly more formal. The best choice depends on the overall tone and style of your writing.

When is it best to use "preceding month" over "last month"?

Use "preceding month" in formal or technical contexts where precision is important. In more casual settings, "last month" is perfectly acceptable and often preferred.