fortunately
Americanadverb
adverb
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(sentence modifier) it is fortunate that; luckily
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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.
Maybe, but fortunately for us, the Chateau Marmont no longer allows guests to perform seances.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
“I fortunately escaped without a wound, though the right wing where I stood was exposed to and received all the enemy’s fire,” he wrote after a 1754 skirmish with the French.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Fascist regimes of the last century were much shorter-lived, fortunately.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
"We are aware that a number of private properties have been affected, but fortunately they were unoccupied at the time," said Cyngor Gwynedd.
From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025
The inhabitants met them with kindness and gave them their flower-food to eat, but those who tasted it, only a few fortunately, lost their longing for home.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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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.