thankfully
Britishadverb
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showing gratitude or appreciation
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informal fortunately
thankfully she was not injured
Usage
The use of thankfully to mean fortunately was formerly considered incorrect by many people, but has now become acceptable in informal contexts
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.
"A few days ago, a bear was roaming here in the village’s central square at dusk. Another animal injured a fellow villager, thankfully only lightly. We’re now afraid to leave our homes," Despas said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
So, Artificial has thankfully found a new home, but this saga may just be the beginning.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
Not a single spark touched our L.A. homes last year, thankfully.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Although she was dressed in a ruffled, all-white dress, they thankfully did not get married on the spot.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
“Because she’s trying to be nice to us,” she retorted, and thankfully, Pearl let the subject drop.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
