also: かくげつ
noun, adverb
Formal or literary term for the previous month. In everyday speech, 先月 (せんげつ) is much more common.
客月の売上は好調でした。
Last month's sales were strong.
客月、当地を訪れた観光客は前年比で増加した。
Last month, the number of tourists visiting this area increased compared to the previous year.
Rare alternate reading; learners should prefer きゃくげつ.
The standard, everyday word for 'last month'. 客月 is a formal or literary synonym rarely used in conversation.
The kanji 客 (guest, visitor) and 月 (month) combine to mean 'the month that has passed', but the exact derivation is uncertain. The reading きゃくげつ is the standard on'yomi; かくげつ is a rare variant.