hopefully

adverb

hope·​ful·​ly ˈhōp-fə-lē 

1

: in a way that expresses desire with an expectation of fulfillment : in a hopeful manner

gazed up at us hopefully

2

: it is hoped : I hope : we hope

hopefully the rain will end soon

Can hopefully mean 'I hope'?: Usage Guide

In the 1960s the second sense of hopefully ("it is hoped"), which dates to the 17th century and has been in fairly widespread use since at least the 1930s, underwent a surge in popularity. A surge of criticism followed in reaction, despite the fact that this use is grammatically sound. Hopefully when used to mean "it is hoped" is a member of a class of adverbs and adverbial phrases known as disjuncts. Disjuncts provide a means for the author or speaker to 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, and 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

They gazed up at us hopefully.

Hopefully, things will get better soon.

Recent Examples on the Web

So those are little signs, hopefully, of the offense getting things going a little bit. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

It’s born out of today’s reality, where hopefully, humanity can advance away from killing, toward more positive future outcomes. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Chop Robinson’s bigger, hopefully stronger Robinson, the Dolphins 2024 first-round pick, is one of Miami’s players that has lofty expectations placed on his shoulders. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Once fees are factored in on these zero-sum products, investors will experience a net return of negative 1% per annum by some estimates in favor of hopefully striking it rich on the volatility. — Derek Horstmeyer, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Video

Hopefully

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Kids Definition

hopefully

adverb

hope·​ful·​ly ˈhōp-fə-lē 

1

: in a hopeful manner

a dog looking hopefully for a tidbit

2

: I hope : we hope

hopefully it won't rain tomorrow