hopefully
Listen:Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
hopefully/ˈhəʊpfəli/
▶adverb
- 1 in a hopeful manner.
- 2 it is to be hoped that: hopefully the book should be finished soon.
usage: The traditional sense of hopefully, ‘in a hopeful manner’, has been used since the 17th century. In the 20th century a new use arose, with the meaning ‘it is to be hoped that’. This sense is regarded by some traditionalists as incorrect, despite the fact that it is now the dominant use.
'hopefully' also found in these Oxford entries:
