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 early 18th century and had been in fairly widespread use since at least the 1930s, underwent a surge in popularity. A surge of criticism followed in reaction, but the criticism took no account of the grammar of adverbs. Hopefully when used to mean "it is hoped" is a member of a class of adverbs known as disjuncts. Disjuncts serve as a means by which the author or speaker can 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, 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

And hopefully, this early public investment will pay off big time as private companies find many commercial uses for low Earth orbit, such as zero-gravity hotels for space tourism or mini-factories for producing specialty materials. —Paul Sutter, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025

With Comet and 1Password working together, it will hopefully be rewritten with trust at the center. —Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

And as these trends go out of style, hopefully people will start to bring more of their authentic selves into their relationships and all facets of their lives. —Charles Trepany, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025

So, hopefully, this is the beginning of a new chapter. —Dory Jackson, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Video

Hopefully

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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