prior quarter

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "prior quarter" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the quarter of a fiscal year or calendar year that comes before the current one. Example: "The company's revenue increased by 15% compared to the prior quarter."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

Profit was up 31percentt over the previous year and essentially flat from the prior quarter.

The New York Times

Sales were $201.2 million, up 78percentt from the prior quarter.

The New York Times

At all firms, trading revenues were down sharply from the strong prior quarter.

The Economist

Losses, however, "declined in most consumer portfolios from the prior quarter," the bank said.

The New York Times

The Spanish economy roared ahead at 0.9% while France grew 0.6% from the prior quarter.

The Economist

In the prior quarter, eBay maintained its lead by only 100,000 users.

The New York Times

Labor costs climbed at a 0.7 percent rate after dropping 2.8 percent the prior quarter.

The New York Times

That is up from $460 million put aside to cover losses and increased reserves in the prior quarter.

The New York Times

Losses from uncollectible loans increased by a third in the second quarter, to $4.4 billion, from the prior quarter.

The New York Times

Growth slowed from a revised 1.8percentt in the prior quarter and from 3.4percentt last year.

The New York Times

Growth in the company's active customer base slowed to 4% in the third quarter from 6% in the prior quarter.

The Guardian - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing financial performance, clearly specify if you are referring to the "prior quarter", the same quarter of the previous year, or another relevant period to avoid confusion.

Common error

Avoid using future tense when referring to the "prior quarter". Since it's already past, use past tense verbs to describe events or data from that period.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prior quarter" functions as a noun phrase acting as an adjectival modifier, specifying which quarter is being referred to in relation to the current one. As confirmed by Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

74%

Formal & Business

24%

Science

2%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "prior quarter" is a standard term for referring to the preceding three-month period, mainly in financial, business, and economic contexts. Ludwig confirms the phrase is correct and widely employed. The analysis shows that it functions as a noun phrase, serving as a temporal reference point to compare data and evaluate trends. It commonly appears in news media and formal business settings. For clarity, explicitly state the reference period when making comparisons. Related phrases include "previous quarter" and "last quarter". Use the correct tense when discussing events of the "prior quarter".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

previous quarter

Replaces "prior" with "previous", a direct synonym with minimal semantic difference.

preceding quarter

Substitutes "prior" with "preceding", emphasizing the sequential order.

earlier quarter

Uses "earlier" instead of "prior", highlighting the time aspect.

last quarter

Replaces "prior" with "last", offering a more casual and straightforward alternative.

the quarter before

Restructures the phrase to emphasize the sequence, using "before" to denote the earlier period.

the quarter just ended

Highlights the recent completion of the referred quarter.

the immediately preceding quarter

Adds emphasis to the direct sequence of time.

the three months before

Provides a more descriptive and expanded version of the original phrase.

quarter one step back

Emphasizes movement backward in time.

the quarter that came before

Rephrases the concept with a focus on temporal succession.

FAQs

What does "prior quarter" mean?

The phrase "prior quarter" refers to the three-month period that immediately precedes the current quarter in a business or financial context.

What can I say instead of "prior quarter"?

You can use alternatives like "previous quarter", "preceding quarter", or "last quarter" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "previous to the quarter" instead of "prior quarter"?

While understandable, "previous to the quarter" is less common and more wordy than the standard term "prior quarter". The phrase "previous quarter" is grammatically correct and widely accepted.

How is the "prior quarter" different from the "subsequent quarter"?

The "prior quarter" refers to the quarter that came before the current one, while the "subsequent quarter" refers to the quarter that follows the current one.