adv
hopefully
HOHP-fuh-lee
adv
1
In a way that shows hope.
"He waited hopefully by the phone all evening."
2
It is hoped that; used to mean "I hope" or "we hope".
"Hopefully, the flight won't be delayed."
"Hopefully we'll finish before the rain starts."
How to Use Hopefully
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither "in a hopeful way" or, more commonly now, "I hope that".
Common mistake
Some careful writers still object to the "I hope" sense, insisting hopefully should only describe how someone acts. In everyday use, the "I hope" meaning is now completely standard.
When to use it
Formal writing sometimes avoids the sentence-adverb use; conversation and journalism use it freely.
Word Forms
more hopefully comparative, most hopefully superlative
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He waited _____ by the phone all evening.
Etymology
From hopeful + -ly. The sentence-adverb use ("hopefully, it will work out") took off first in the US and is thought to echo the German word hoffentlich.