year-over-year

Or year o·ver year

[yeer-oh-ver-yeer]

adverb

Accounting, Finance.

1. as compared with the corresponding figure 12 months earlier; involving or reckoned by such a comparison: YoY

   Exports fell 2 percent year over year in May.

   February rents for one-bedroom apartments saw a year-over-year increase of 6 percent.

2. in each year that passes after an initial investment, the start of an observed trend, etc.; annual or annually.

   The gain from this software purchase has been our best ROI year over year.

   Over the last decade, the year-over-year trend in inflation has strongly correlated with the year-over-year trend in GDP.

Word History and Origins

Origin of year-over-year¹

First recorded in 1790–1800, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

Cosmetics maker Estée Lauder’s mainland China revenue increased about 9% year-over-year in the three months ended September.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“While newcomers have historically been a vibrant and growing part of our school communities, their enrollment has declined significantly over the past three years, with year-over-year decreases that mirror the uncertainty many families are living through,” Carvalho said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Walmart recently raised its sales forecast for the year after reporting a 6% year-over-year increase in revenue in the third quarter.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Swiss luxury company Richemont CFR -0.32%decrease; red down pointing triangle has grown sales by more than 10% year-over-year in its Americas region for seven quarters in a row.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The National Retail Federation, a trade association that tracks consumer spending trends, forecasts retail sales in November and December to grow between 3.7% and 4.2% year-over-year.

Read more on Barron's