the week before last

USAGE SUMMARY

"the week before last" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to refer to a period of time that was two weeks before the present. For example, "I went on holiday the week before last."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

I had just celebrated my 80th birthday the week before, last month.

Huffington Post

The week before last, however, more than 1,000 barrels oil spilled from a section of that pipeline in Wisconsin.

Huffington Post

France and Britain stood alongside the United States the week before last at the United Nations in denouncing Tehran's latest act of nuclear deception.

The New York Times

The Wednesday the week before last, registered Republicans were running slightly ahead of their 2012 level, but are now running a deficit of 14,099 requests.

Huffington Post

The week before last, Perry released a commercial that lambasted Obama for calling Americans lazy, though Obama had said nothing so unfeeling.

The New York Times

Has (name of the child) had diarrhoea in the last 2 weeks, that is, since (day of the week) of the week before last.

BMJ Open

I SPENT the week before last in Rhode Island.

The New York Times - Style

The week before last, the tree-clearing got within sight of her perch.

The Washington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

3 human-written examples

It also surpassed the previous sales peak of £164.4m in the week before last Christmas.

The Guardian - Business

Since then, grad students have staged seven labor strikes, including one during the week before last fall's final exams.

Science Magazine

Helton said he tried not to think about his job prospects in the week before last year's game.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "the week before last" to clearly specify a period exactly two weeks prior to the current week, avoiding ambiguity in timelines.

Common error

Avoid using "the week before last" when you mean simply "last week". Ensure your timeline is precise, as this phrase refers specifically to the week preceding the immediately previous one.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the week before last" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, specifying when an event occurred. As confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is correct and frequently used to refer to a specific period two weeks prior to the current week.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

91%

Science

4%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Academia

1%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the week before last" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase, as confirmed by Ludwig, to denote a period exactly two weeks prior to the current week. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, it serves to provide a specific temporal reference, avoiding ambiguity. While alternatives like "fortnight ago" exist, this phrase offers a clear and readily understood way to place events in the past. A key takeaway is to ensure it isn't confused with simply "last week", maintaining precision in your timeline.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fortnight ago

Uses a more formal term for two weeks prior.

two weeks prior

More explicit and formal in indicating the two-week interval.

a couple of weeks ago

More casual and approximate.

the previous fortnight

Employs 'fortnight' for a more sophisticated tone.

in the past two weeks

Broader and could include events slightly longer than strictly two weeks.

not last week but the one before

More descriptive and less concise.

two weeks back

Informal and colloquial.

a fortnight back

Combines formality with a casual direction.

the week of [date two weeks ago]

Precise and specific, requiring a date reference.

around two weeks ago

Indicates an estimation of the time passed.

FAQs

How can I use "the week before last" in a sentence?

You can use "the week before last" to refer to a period two weeks in the past, like in the sentence, "I visited my family "the week before last"".

What are some alternatives to saying "the week before last"?

Alternatives include "a "couple of weeks ago"", "fortnight ago", or "two "weeks prior"", depending on the desired level of formality.

Is it correct to say "the week before last" or should I use another phrase?

"The week before last" is correct and commonly used. However, you might choose phrases like "a fortnight ago" for variety or depending on the specific context.

What's the difference between "last week" and "the week before last"?

"Last week" refers to the week immediately preceding the current one, while "the week before last" refers to the week before that. It's important to be precise to avoid confusion.