fortunately

American

[fawr-chuh-nit-lee] / ˈfɔr tʃə nɪt li /

adverb

it is fortunate that.

The groceries cost more than I thought they would, but fortunately I had just enough money with me.

fortunately British

/ ˈfɔːtʃənɪtlɪ /

adverb

(sentence modifier) it is fortunate that; luckily
in a fortunate manner

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fortunately

First recorded in 1540–60; fortunate ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And so I was dreading having to editorialize about this, but fortunately a pollster did it for me.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026

"To represent my country in the World Cup, the biggest football event in the calendar, it was an honour for me and fortunately, because I did that, it helps me promote football boots as well."

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

Maybe, but fortunately for us, the Chateau Marmont no longer allows guests to perform seances.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026

“Our sales are hitting new records at our bars downtown, fortunately, but our costs have risen dramatically.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

And, fortunately, Katherine’s fists didn’t hurt at all.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023