fortunately
Americanadverb
adverb
-
(sentence modifier) it is fortunate that; luckily
-
in a fortunate manner
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.
Perhaps fortunately, the pandemic forced the entire G7 event to be canceled in 2020.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
And so I was dreading having to editorialize about this, but fortunately a pollster did it for me.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 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
The rest of the team did not acknowledge him and I was seething, but fortunately I decided to wait before dealing with him.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
It took about ten minutes of this to get him to the house, up the porch steps, and into Joseph and David’s room, which fortunately is on the ground floor next to the living room.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.