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hopefully
[ hohp-fuh-lee ]
/ ˈhoʊp fə li /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adverb
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.
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usage note for hopefully
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.
Words nearby hopefully
hope against hope, Hope, Bob, hope chest, Hope diamond, hopeful, hopefully, hopeful monster, Hopeh, hopeless, hopelessness, hopepunk
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use hopefully in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for hopefully
hopefully
/ (ˈhəʊpfʊlɪ) /
adverb
in a hopeful manner
informal it is hopedhopefully they will be here soon
usage for hopefully
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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