hopefully

adv

Definition: optimistically
Antonyms: pessimistically

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Origin: 1932

In the depths of the Great Depression, the supreme expression of American optimism, hopefully in the sense "it is hoped," made its appearance in the pages of the New York Times Book Review. "He would create an expert commission," said the 1932 review, "to consist of ex-Presidents and a selected list of ex-Governors, hopefully not including Pa and Ma Ferguson." But the 1930s were not particularly hopeful times, and hopefully was used only marginally for many years after. It was finally in the prosperous 1950s and early 1960s that hopefully hopped into our everyday conversation, where it has thrived ever since.

Not that the word hopefully itself is new or American. Using hopefully to indicate that a person is full of hope has been practiced in the English language for more than three centuries. The old meaning occurs in expressions like "He went to work hopefully." This means the subject was optimistic when he went to work. The modern "Hopefully, he went to work" has nothing to do with the subject's attitude but instead expresses the judgment of an outside observer.

Hopefully as we use it nowadays declares that the situation is full of hope, that a goal has hope of being fulfilled. We like it because it implies analysis of the situation rather than just a wish. To say "I hope the plan will succeed" is merely to utter a personal desire; "Hopefully, the plan will succeed" expresses the cautious optimism of an objective observer. We also like it because, while exuding optimism, it leaves us a way out. It's as optimistic as certainly or surely, but it makes no guarantees. No wonder politicians like it.

And for just this reason, no wonder some critics have been sharply critical of hopefully. in the 1970s, one said it "makes me physically ill"; another denounced it as "the most horrible usage of our time." They give various explanations, but they were probably most bothered by the way hopefully absolves a person or organization from responsibility while lending an air of optimism. The modern hopefully operates just like certainly, thankfully, and mercifully in expressing a general attitude, however, so there is no valid grammatical objection to it. Hopefully, its critics will find better uses for their time.

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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The adverb has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: with hope; in a hopeful manner
  Antonym: hopelessly (meaning #3)
  Derived from adjective: hopeful (meaning #1)

Meaning #2: it is hoped

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Dansk (Danish)
adv. - forhåbningsfuldt, forhåbentlig

Nederlands (Dutch)
hopelijk, hoopvol, vol goede hoop/-verwachting

Français (French)
adv. - avec un peu de chance, avec d'optimisme

Deutsch (German)
adv. - hoffentlich, hoffnungsvoll

Ελληνική (Greek)
adv. - ευελπίστως, με (μεγάλη) δόση αισιοδοξίας

Italiano (Italian)
speriamo che, speranzoso, promettente

Português (Portuguese)
adv. - confiadamente

Русский (Russian)
с надеждой, надо надеяться

Español (Spanish)
adv. - ¡ojalá!, con optimismo, esperanzador, de un modo alentador

Svenska (Swedish)
adv. - hoppfullt, förhoppningsvis

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
怀希望地, 但愿, 抱希望地

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adv. - 懷希望地, 但願, 抱希望地

한국어 (Korean)
adv. - 희망을 걸고, 유망하게, 잘되면

日本語 (Japanese)
adv. - 望みを持って, 有望に, うまくいけば

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(ظرف) متأملا, بأمل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adv. - ‮בתקווה, נקווה ש-‬

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