hopefully

hopefully
adverb Date: 1593 1. in a hopeful manner 2. it is hoped ; I hope ; we hope <
hopefully the rain will end soon
> Usage: In the 1960s the second sense of hopefully, 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 in its second sense 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 (as interestingly, frankly, clearly, luckily, unfortunately) are similarly used; most are so ordinary as to excite no comment or interest whatsoever. The second sense of hopefully is entirely standard.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • hopefully — 1. This has been used since the 17c as a straightforward adverb of manner: • As lovers do, as lovers will, they travelled hopefully to Paris Maurice Gee, 1985 • Out on the corridor, Nurse Bodkin was hovering hopefully near a suspended piece of… …   Modern English usage

  • Hopefully — Hope ful*ly, adv. 1. In a hopeful manner. [PJC] 2. I hope; if all goes well; as, hopefully, the dress will be ready before the party. Note: Some prescriptivists object to this usage as being ungrammatical, but it is very common and well… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hopefully — hopefully; un·hopefully; …   English syllables

  • hopefully — ► ADVERB 1) in a hopeful manner. 2) it is to be hoped that. USAGE The traditional sense of hopefully is ‘in a hopeful manner’. In the 20th century a new use arose, with the meaning ‘it is to be hoped that’. Although this newer use is now very… …   English terms dictionary

  • hopefully — [hōp′fəl ē] adv. 1. in a hopeful manner 2. it is to be hoped (that) [to leave early, hopefully by six] …   English World dictionary

  • hopefully — 1630s, in a hopeful manner, from HOPEFUL (Cf. hopeful) + LY (Cf. ly) (2). As a replacement for the admittedly awkward it is to be hoped that attested from 1932 but avoided by careful writers …   Etymology dictionary

  • hopefully — adverb 1) he rode on hopefully Syn: optimistically, full of hope, confidently, buoyantly, sanguinely; expectantly 2) hopefully it will finish soon Syn: if all goes well, God willing, with luck, with any luck; most l …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • hopefully —     To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive. Seventy or eighty years ago that sentence by Robert Louis Stevenson would have suggested only one interpretation: that it is better to travel filled with hope than to actually reach your… …   Dictionary of troublesome word

  • hopefully — /hohp feuh lee/, adv. 1. in a hopeful manner: We worked hopefully and energetically, thinking we might finish first. 2. it is hoped; if all goes well: Hopefully, we will get to the show on time. [1630 40; HOPEFUL + LY] Usage. Although some… …   Universalium

  • hopefully — [[t]ho͟ʊpfʊli[/t]] ADV: ADV with cl/group You say hopefully when mentioning something that you hope will happen. Some careful speakers of English think that this use of hopefully is not correct, but it is very frequently used. Both of them have… …   English dictionary

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