ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hopefully

adv. sent.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈhoʊpfəɫi// UK //hˈəʊpfəli// hope·ful·ly General-service

adv. in a way that shows you want something to happen. You also use it at the start of a sentence to say what you want or expect to be true.

adv. in a manner expressing desire or expectation; alternatively, used as a sentence modifier to indicate the speaker's desire for a specific outcome.


SIMPLE

Hopefully, the weather stays sunny for our picnic.

CONTEXTUAL

The students looked hopefully at the teacher when she began to hand back the graded exams.

COMPLEX

While the team prepared for the worst, they continued to work hopefully toward a resolution that would satisfy both the investors and the local community.

Antonyms
Origin

From hopeful + -ly. The use as a sentence adverb first gained currency in the United States and has been explained as a possible calque of German hoffentlich.

Usage

When used as a sentence adverb to mean 'it is hoped that', it typically appears at the beginning of the clause.

Pitfall

I hopefully that it rainsI hope that it rainsLearners often use the adverb 'hopefully' as a verb; 'hopefully' modifies a clause, while 'hope' is the action.

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