hopefully
adverb
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
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
My hope is that in the next year or two the Heat can open up the roster and have the dollars to get one or two really good players to complement Bam and Tyler Herro and hopefully Kel’el Ware. – Joel, Fort Lauderdale.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 July 2025
It's capped at 50 people per session, but a second property opening in a similarly fairy-tale French setting, in the Ariège region of southwest France, in 2026 will hopefully ease some of the pressure on the waitlist.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025
In the same way ‘Jaws’ inspired me, hopefully, some of these Shark Week shows will provide a new pipeline of enthusiasm.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 6 July 2025
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Hopefully
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Cite this Entry
“Hopefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopefully. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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hopefully
adverb
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