If someone says "by 2015" does that mean before 2015?

Question

Nissan aims to enlarge capacity to produce 450,000 vehicles by 2015"

Does this mean that Nissan enlarged capacity by the onset of 2015 (i.e. jan 1 2015)? Or if it's July 15th 2015 can Nissan still be enlarging capacity?

It means whatever they say it means ... in 2016. But generally it would imply "by the end of the year 2015". — Hot Licks, Jul 19 '15 at 15:16

chasly - supports Monica · Answer 1 · 2015-07-19T16:03:36.353

It's debatable and I would say the author of this sentence is guilty of sloppy writing. If this was a press-release by Nissan, clarification would be needed.

Possible improvements are:

Nissan aims to enlarge capacity to produce 450,000 vehicles by early (or late) 2015.

This sort of thing is vague but companies do use it, usually to avoid being held to a strict deadline.

My suggestion

Nissan aims to enlarge capacity to produce 450,000 vehicles by the end of 2015.

This last one is completely unambiguous. It means before midnight 31st December 2015.

We have to adjust for local time of course but that is trivial.

Please check that obvious candidates for duplicates aren't. – Edwin Ashworth Jul 19 '15 at 19:55 — Edwin Ashworth, Jul 19 '15 at 19:55

score -1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 19 '15 at 16:15

-1

I agree its somewhat ambiguous, but I would take the meaning from that as being 'by the time 2015 begins' not when it ends. That is usually what such a statement means - if they meant by the end of 2015, they'd have said by 2016.

answered Jul 19 '15 at 16:15

bamboo

1,146

And there lies the problem because, if my life depended on guessing what it meant, I would go for the meaning "by the end of 2015". – chasly - supports Monica Jul 19 '15 at 16:31
If you had a drug and it said on it use by 2015, would you take it in September 2015? Just curious... 'cos I wouldn't! – bamboo Jul 19 '15 at 17:21

score -1 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 19 '15 at 20:25

All bets are off in English when using dates and time. On, after, by, at, before, left, till, between ... what does it all mean?

Programmers cede definitions defined by the particular language/rules in use. And they are different. Throw in the dateline and aaaaaaahhhh.

I'd read the Nissan statement as goals having something to do with 2015, probably the beginning of, but that's all. 2020 isn't in the picture.

It also may be Grubered to stroke Wall Street. And there may be a particular meaning here, too, that is accepted in financial/business world.

If someone says "by 2015" does that mean before 2015?

3 Answers3