hopefully
Americanadverb
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in a hopeful manner.
We worked hopefully and energetically, thinking we might finish first.
-
it is hoped; if all goes well.
Hopefully, we will get to the show on time.
adverb
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in a hopeful manner
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informal it is hoped
hopefully they will be here soon
Usage
Although some strongly object to its use as a sentence modifier, hopefully meaning “it is hoped (that)” has been in use since the 1930s and is fully standard in all varieties of speech and writing: Hopefully, tensions between the two nations will ease. This use of hopefully is parallel to that of certainly, curiously, frankly, regrettably, and other sentence modifiers.
The use of hopefully to mean it is hoped used to be considered incorrect by some people but has now become acceptable in informal contexts
Etymology
Origin of hopefully
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.
Another person added to the communion of our family and hopefully to that of the Church.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
"If businesses have got an economic environment that they can thrive in, that will help them survive and that will hopefully drive people back on the high streets," he said.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Fittingly, when Banjo himself took on the restoration challenge he told the BBC that he hoped "maybe it will have some people come and stay - hopefully".
From BBC • May 30, 2026
I simply have the attitude that if I meet great people who become friends, hopefully they will become clients.
From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026
Presently, as Jo’s sobs quieted, he said hopefully, “I don’t think she will die. She’s so good, and we all love her so much, I don’t believe God will take her away yet.”
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
