hopefully

adverb

hope·​ful·​ly ˈhōp-fə-lē 

1

: in a way that expresses desire with an expectation of fulfillment : in a hopeful manner

gazed up at us hopefully

2

: it is hoped : I hope : we hope

hopefully the rain will end soon

Can hopefully mean 'I hope'?: Usage Guide

In the 1960s the second sense of hopefully ("it is hoped"), which dates to the 17th century and has been in fairly widespread use since at least the 1930s, underwent a surge in popularity. A surge of criticism followed in reaction, despite the fact that this use is grammatically sound. Hopefully when used to mean "it is hoped" is a member of a class of adverbs and adverbial phrases known as disjuncts. Disjuncts provide a means for the author or speaker to comment directly to the reader or hearer usually on the content of the sentence to which they are attached. Many other adverbs (such as interestingly, frankly, clearly, luckily, and unfortunately) are similarly used; most are so ordinary as to excite no comment or interest whatsoever. The "it is hoped" sense of hopefully is entirely standard.

Examples of hopefully in a Sentence

They gazed up at us hopefully.

Hopefully, things will get better soon.

Recent Examples on the Web

So, a strong start for My Life with the Walter Boys, and hopefully that will continue on into season 4 as well. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Unlike last year's extremely confusing soiree hosted by Jimmy Fallon, this year will hopefully present fewer awkward and cringeworthy moments. — Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2026

There was a whole beat of navigating to get into the elevator to head down and then the trip to maybe, hopefully buy enough time down there for everyone else to escape. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026

The floor pull was just the start of Annie’s story with Ellis, which hopefully the show will get to explore in a potential second season, given Annie’s decision to stay in Sterling Point in the finale. — Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Video

Hopefully

We believe the popular usage of this word is correct

Kids Definition

hopefully

adverb

hope·​ful·​ly ˈhōp-fə-lē 

1

: in a hopeful manner

a dog looking hopefully for a tidbit

2

: I hope : we hope

hopefully it won't rain tomorrow