year-over-year

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "year-over-year" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in financial or economic contexts to compare data from one year to the same period in the previous year. Example: "The company's revenue increased by 10% year-over-year, indicating strong growth."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

40 human-written examples

"We're growing year-over-year.

The New York Times

"Year-over-year, they pay their C.E.O.

The New York Times

Year-over-year sales are up 300 percent.

The New York Times

Year-over-year core inflation was up 0.8 percent.

The New York Times

Instead, it tells investors the year-over-year percentage growth.

The New York Times

Year-over-year sales at many stores were down substantially.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

20 human-written examples

Revenue is up 18 percent year over year.

The New York Times

Earnings are accelerating year over year.

The New York Times

That's up 13.7percentt year over year.

The New York Times

"Things didn't change radically year over year".

The New York Times

"Year over year over year, I think the audience has remained static, if not grown.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "year-over-year", ensure that the context clearly defines what is being compared, such as revenue, sales, or growth rate. This adds clarity and precision to your analysis.

Common error

Avoid using "year-over-year" without clearly specifying the base period for comparison. For example, instead of saying "Sales increased year-over-year", specify "Sales increased 15% year-over-year from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025" to avoid ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "year-over-year" functions as an adjective, modifying nouns to indicate a comparison between two consecutive years. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's commonly used in economic and financial contexts. For example, "year-over-year sales" indicates sales compared to the previous year.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Science

19%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "year-over-year" is a common adjective used to compare data from one year to the same period in the previous year, predominantly in business, finance, and news contexts. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. When employing this phrase, ensure clarity by specifying the data being compared and avoiding ambiguity. Alternatives include "year on year" or "annual growth rate", but the original phrase remains the standard choice in formal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

year on year

A more concise version with the same meaning.

compared to last year

Simplifies the comparison to the immediately preceding year.

annual growth rate

Highlights the percentage change over a year, focusing on the growth aspect.

previous year comparison

Directly states the act of comparing to the previous year.

from the prior year

Focuses on the origin of the data being compared.

annualized

Refers to converting data to an annual basis, which is related to comparing years.

annualized change

Focuses on the change calculated on a yearly basis.

on an annual basis

Emphasizes that the comparison is done considering a full year.

over the past year

Implies an observation or trend analysis over a one-year period.

sequential year

Highlights the consecutive nature of the years being compared.

FAQs

How do I use "year-over-year" in a sentence?

Use "year-over-year" to describe comparisons between data from one year to the same period in the previous year. For example, "The company's revenue increased by 20% year-over-year" indicates growth compared to the previous year's revenue for the same timeframe.

What are some alternatives to "year-over-year"?

You can use alternatives like "year on year", "compared to last year", or "annual growth rate" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "year over year" instead of "year-over-year"?

While "year over year" is understandable, "year-over-year" is the more standard and widely accepted form, particularly in formal writing and business contexts.

What's the difference between "year-over-year" and "annualized"?

"Year-over-year" compares a specific period to the same period in the previous year, whereas "annualized" refers to projecting data to cover a full year, often based on partial-year results.