during, over, throughout 这3个英语单词，都可以用作介词，都可以表示时间。

但是，唯独during 词性单一，词义单一，只有介词，只表示“时间”；而over和throughout 还可以用作副词，还表示其他概念，例如“地点”等。

在表示“时间”时，这3个介词意思基本相同，差别不大，请仔细体会和比较：

▲ during 有两层意思：

（1）在…整个期间；贯穿...整个期间：

【英文注释】If something develops during a period of time, it develops gradually from the beginning to the end of that period. 在…期间

例句：

Wages have fallen by more than twenty percent during the past two months.

在过去的两个月期间工资已下降了二十多个百分点。

She lived in California during the winter.

整个冬天她住在加利福尼亚州。

（2）在…期间的某一个时候(或时刻)：

【英文注释】An event that happens during a period of time happens at some point or moment in that period. 在…期间的某一刻 (发生)

例句：

During his visit, the Pope will also bless the new hospital.

在他访问期间，教皇也将为新医院祈福。

We departed during the day.

我们在白天分手。

The burglary occurred during the night.

这个盗窃案发生在夜间。

He left during the lecture.

在讲演过程中，他离开了。

▲ over 在…期间；直到…完了(或过后)：

【英文注释】If something happens over a particular period of time or over something such as a meal, it happens during that time or during the meal. 在…期间

例句：

The number of attacks on the capital had gone down over the past week. 在过去一周里对首都的袭击次数下降了。

He stayed over Christmas. 他一直等过了圣诞节才离开。

▲ throughout：遍及；贯穿；在…的各个部分：

【英文注释】If you say that something happens throughout a particular period of time, you mean that it happens during the whole of that period. 自始至终

例句：

The national tragedy of rival groups killing each other continued throughout 1990.

1990年全年，敌对组织互相残杀的民族悲剧持续不断。

Movie music can be made memorable because its themes are repeated throughout the film.

电影音乐可以制作得令人难忘，因为其主旋律在影片中反复出现。

She was bored throughout the film.

她从头到尾对这个电影都不感兴趣。

He accompanied her throughout her stay there.

她在那儿逗留期间他一直陪着她。

因此，可以说：

during the period = over the period = thoughout the period

in the period 这个词组当然也可以说，属于很普通的用法。如果换成不表示时间的词语，例如 the film, the lecture等，那就不表示时间了。