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.
He said that weather conditions fortunately had prevented the storm from making landfall as a major Category 3.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
The courts, fortunately, are seeing through this strategy.
From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2026
He added cases like Victoria's "are fortunately relatively rare".
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 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
And fortunately, I think I know where we can get some answers.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
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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.