hopefully

adverb

hope·​ful·​ly ˈhōp-fə-lē How to pronounce hopefully (audio)
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 Bay’s style is always divisive, but hopefully, even those who don’t love it will be intrigued by how different this show is, which raises the question of what else is stylistically possible in the genre. Kelly Goodner, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2024 These tools will give scientists the opportunity to study the secondary magnetic fields produced by the interaction of conductive oceans with Jupiter’s field in great detail and will hopefully give researchers clues to salinity and volumes of the oceans. Mike Sori, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024 In addition to hopefully relaxing, a holiday beloved by kids falls during the school break of George, 11, Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6 — Halloween! Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Everything must fit just so, together, and often works with an element of surprise, and hopefully a sense opening. Monica Hooper, arkansasonline.com, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hopefully 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hopefully.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hopefully was in 1593

Dictionary Entries Near hopefully

Cite this Entry

“Hopefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopefully. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hopefully

adverb
hope·​ful·​ly ˈhōp-fə-lē How to pronounce hopefully (audio)
1
: in a hopeful manner
a dog looking hopefully for a tidbit
2
: I hope : we hope
hopefully it won't rain tomorrow
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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