hopefully
(adverb) it is hoped; “hopefully the weather will be fine on Sunday”
hopefully
(adverb) with hope; in a hopeful manner; “we searched hopefully for a good position”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
hopefully (comparative more hopefully, superlative most hopefully)
In a hopeful manner. [from 17th c.]
(uncomparable) It is hoped that; I hope; we hope. [from 18th c.]
The second definition (“I hope that”, used as a sentence adverb) has been criticized by some usage writers although it is by far the most commonly used sense of the word. Many adverbs are used as sentence modifiers with somewhat less frequent objection such as interestingly, frankly, clearly, luckily, and unfortunately. Unlike for many such shifts in meaning that occur in English, the portion of the American Heritage Dictionary's Usage Panel that condones the second sense of the word has decreased from 1969 to 2000, offering the explanation that this particular usage has become a shibboleth. Merriam-Webster, on the other hand, calls the usage "entirely standard", and notes that it has been used since the early 18th century, having been commonly used in American English since the 1930s, and gained significant popularity in the 1960s.
The dispute over the use of sentence adverbs is born largely of the fact that in using an existing adverb to apply to not only one verb but a whole sentence, the meaning of the word is altered, which, in certain situations, can lead to ambiguity. For example, Hopefully, he will save money for the deposit on a new house can mean either that it is hoped that he will save the money (in which hopefully is a sentence adverb modifying the entire sentence) or that he is saving money in a hopeful manner (in which hopefully modifies will save). Sentence adverbs have played a part in English since the 17C but have been limited largely to use wherein they retain their original definition (e.g. probably). It was not until the 20C that they began to be used in other situations.
“[T]here is no precise substitute,” says the American Heritage Dictionary. “Someone who says Hopefully, the treaty will be ratified makes a hopeful prediction about the fate of the treaty, whereas someone who says I hope (or We hope or It is hoped) the treaty will be ratified expresses a bald statement about what is desired. Only the latter could be continued with a clause such as but it isn’t likely.” Hopefully is also less personal than I hope or we hope. It is hoped that and if hopes are realized would be impersonal and have been suggested as alternatives to hopefully, but using hopefully is more concise.
Compare to the usage of regretfully, which does have the substitute regrettably. In fact, hopeably has been proposed as an alternative, but it has not caught on.
Source: Wiktionary
Hope"ful, a.
1. Full of hope, or agreeable expectation; inclined to hope; expectant. Men of their own natural inclination hopeful and strongly conceited. Hooker.
2. Having qualities which excite hope; affording promise of good or of success; as, a hopeful youth; a hopeful prospect. "Hopeful scholars." Addison.
– Hope"ful*ly, adv.
– Hope"ful*ness, n.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
27 November 2024
(adjective) causing or able to cause nausea; “a nauseating smell”; “nauseous offal”; “a sickening stench”
Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.
