fortunately

American  

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

adverb

1. it is fortunate that.

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

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fortunately British  

/ ˈfɔːtʃənɪtlɪ /

adverb

1. (sentence modifier) it is fortunate that; luckily

2. in a fortunate manner

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Etymology

Origin of fortunately

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

Example Sentences

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

Per usual they locked up the crowd’s phones to see his show but fortunately there were plenty of actual cameras capturing what went on so hopefully you get to see what we saw very soon.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

But fortunately, the invaluable Eloquence company from Australia recently issued most of her recordings in a 14-disc “Aafje Heynis Edition,” and no set has brought me such pleasure in a long time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Five nights a week, six hours a day, for the next four months—and, fortunately, never again—I made my living by exhibiting the peculiar way I am formed.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides