within the last two weeks

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "within the last two weeks" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to events or actions that have occurred in the most recent two-week period. Example: "I have received several emails from clients within the last two weeks regarding their project updates."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

Service users identified a member of staff whom they saw regularly, and then identified a specific decision made at their last meeting (generally within the last two weeks).

BMC Health Services Research

Two of those tore through the Caribbean within the last two weeks.

The New Yorker

Mr. Obama said he had spoken to him "within the last two weeks".

The New York Times

The parties reached their agreement within the last two weeks, said Mel Avanzado, Mr. Tannenbaum's lawyer.

The New York Times

Within the last two weeks, it went into contract: the asking price was $287,000.

The New York Times

Even within the last two weeks amid a constant stream of leaks, it appeared the deal could collapse.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

6 human-written examples

Within the last two weeks the authorities have issued decrees warning that criticism will lead to jail".

Independent

Cancer patient care in our hospital is not considered overly aggressive as only 7.6% of these patients receive chemotherapy within the last two weeks of life.

BMC Palliative Care

Joseph Zwilling, spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, said Cardinal Dolan's agreement to participate, which occurred "within the last two weeks," should not be seen as partisan.

The New York Times

State Department officials also said Tuesday that a cable had gone out within the last two weeks to all Foreign Service officers alerting them to the need to fill about 300 positions in Iraq and Afghanistan in the coming year.

The New York Times

In America, the attorney general has said within the last two weeks that, from what he had seen so far, he had no intention of prosecuting [the journalist who broke the story] Glenn Greenwald.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "within the last two weeks", ensure that the timeframe is relevant to the context and that the information is still current. If the information is older, consider using a different timeframe or a more general term.

Common error

Avoid using "within the last two weeks" when a more specific date or timeframe is known. Providing exact dates increases clarity and reduces ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "within the last two weeks" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause. It specifies when an action or event occurred, providing a temporal context. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

57%

Science

41%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Wiki

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "within the last two weeks" is a grammatically correct and commonly used adverbial phrase. It is employed to specify a timeframe covering the current week and the immediately preceding week. As Ludwig highlights, it is especially common in news and media and scientific contexts. While direct dates are preferable for precision, this phrase serves well when a general recent timeframe is sufficient. Alternatives include "in the past fortnight" or "during the previous two weeks".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in the past fortnight

Replaces "two weeks" with "fortnight", which is a less common but equivalent term.

during the previous two weeks

Uses "previous" instead of "last" for a more formal tone.

over the last fourteen days

Specifies the number of days for increased precision.

in the preceding couple of weeks

Uses "preceding" and "couple of weeks" for a slightly less formal tone.

the week before last and last week

Breaks it into the explicit weeks for clarity or emphasis.

these past couple of weeks

Emphasizes a period that just concluded.

recently

A more general term indicating a short time ago, but less specific.

lately

Similar to "recently" but can imply a longer period.

in recent weeks

More general and vague. It indicates a period of several weeks.

of late

An older, somewhat archaic way to say recently, typically used in British English.

FAQs

What does "within the last two weeks" mean?

The phrase "within the last two weeks" refers to the period encompassing the current week and the immediately preceding week. It indicates that something occurred at some point during that two-week timeframe.

How can I use "within the last two weeks" in a sentence?

You can use the phrase to specify a timeframe. For example: "I have received several emails from clients "within the last two weeks" regarding their project updates."

Which is more precise, "within the last two weeks" or "recently"?

"Within the last two weeks" is more precise than "recently". While "recently" implies a short time ago, it doesn't specify the exact duration, unlike "within the last two weeks".

What are some alternatives to "within the last two weeks"?

You can use alternatives like "in the past fortnight", "during the previous two weeks", or "over the last fourteen days", depending on the desired level of formality and specificity. See more options "in the past fortnight".