the month prior

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "the month prior" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the month immediately before the current month or a specified month in a context. Example: "The report was submitted in March, reflecting the data from the month prior."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

That was up from just 1,266 in the month prior to the Newtown shooting.

The Guardian - Opinion

And that was double was it was the month prior.

TechCrunch

Of all 54 women, 40 (78%) were sexually active in the month prior to surgery.

Gynecological Surgery

Sales are expected to rise 0.3%, after rising 0.6% in the month prior.

Forbes

Windows 8.x now controls 12.24% of the market, up from 11.3% the month prior.

TechCrunch

Most patients had taken NSAIDs during the month prior to the study start, but in most cases, consumption was occasional.

Sports Medicine - Open

The end date for maternal care was taken to be the month prior to the date of interview.

Health Economics Review

The photograph showed a new hypopigmented lesion in the fovea (arrow) that was not seen the month prior.

Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection

More than 181 million records were processed in the month prior to January 2013, according to the Washington Post.

BBC

The month prior, ExactTarget went for $2.5 billion to Salesforce, and Google snagged Waze for $1.1 to 1.3 billion.

TechCrunch

Most adolescents reported having been verbally (73%) and indirectly (62%) victimized by their peers at least once in the month prior to filling out the questionnaire.

Child Abuse & Neglect

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing reports or analyses, use "the month prior" to clearly reference data or events from the immediately preceding month, ensuring clarity and avoiding ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "the month prior" when you need to reference a month that isn't immediately before the one being discussed. Be specific if you're referring to a month further in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the month prior" functions as a temporal specifier, indicating a period of time immediately preceding a given reference point. Ludwig AI affirms its grammatical correctness and frequent use across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

44%

News & Media

39%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the month prior" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that acts as a temporal specifier. Ludwig AI confirms it's a correct and usable phrase. It's commonly employed to provide context by referencing events or data from the month immediately preceding a particular point in time. Appearing most often in scientific and news-related content, the phrase maintains a neutral register, fitting various writing styles. Alternatives such as "the preceding month" or "the month before" offer similar meaning. When using "the month prior", ensure clarity by always referring the month immediately before your current month discussed. If not, be more specific about the reference.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the preceding month

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

the previous month

Substitutes 'prior' with 'previous', indicating the month immediately before.

the month before

Uses a more common and straightforward phrasing for the same concept.

the immediately preceding month

Adds emphasis by specifying 'immediately', clarifying the temporal proximity.

the month earlier

Emphasizes the temporal displacement by using 'earlier'.

in the month before

Adds 'in' for a slightly different grammatical structure, but the meaning remains the same.

the month that preceded

Uses a more formal and descriptive way to express the same meaning.

the month just before

Uses 'just before' for a more informal tone, indicating the month right before.

a month ago

Provides a more colloquial alternative, focusing on the elapsed time.

the month formerly

Replaces 'prior' with 'formerly', indicating the immediately before month.

FAQs

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

You can use "the month prior" to refer to the month immediately before a specified date or event. For example, "Sales increased in June, compared to "the month prior"".

What is a formal alternative to "the month prior"?

A more formal alternative to "the month prior" is "the preceding month". Both phrases accurately refer to the month immediately before the one being discussed.

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

No, "the month prior" and "the previous month" are essentially interchangeable. Both phrases indicate the month that comes directly before the current or specified month.

Can I use "the month before" instead of "the month prior"?

Yes, "the month before" is a simpler and equally valid alternative to "the month prior". It conveys the same meaning in a more direct manner.