hopefully
adverb
Can hopefully mean 'I hope'?: Usage Guide
In the 1960s the second sense of hopefully ("it is hoped"), which dates to the early 18th century and had been in fairly widespread use since at least the 1930s, underwent a surge in popularity. A surge of criticism followed in reaction, but the criticism took no account of the grammar of adverbs. Hopefully when used to mean "it is hoped" is a member of a class of adverbs known as disjuncts. Disjuncts serve as a means by which the author or speaker can comment directly to the reader or hearer usually on the content of the sentence to which they are attached. Many other adverbs (such as interestingly, frankly, clearly, luckily, unfortunately) are similarly used; most are so ordinary as to excite no comment or interest whatsoever. The "it is hoped" sense of hopefully is entirely standard.
Examples of hopefully in a Sentence
William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
That’s all for another time, hopefully for all concerned still years from now.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2025
Archaeologists plan to continue studying Wreck 5 and, hopefully, conducting some excavations of the site.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
More importantly, Davidson wound up keeping Ryan Donato and hopefully can find common ground on extension after the 28-year-old’s career-best season.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Hopefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopefully. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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hopefully
adverb
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