hopefully

[Benjamin Barrett]

The AHD also has a useful guidance section on this word. It notes that large majority of their usage panel dislikes this use despite parallels with adverbs like "frankly" and "mercifully."

It goes on to note that you cannot replace "hopefully" with "I hope" or "it is hoped" because "hopefully" makes a "hopeful prediction" whereas "I hope" is a "bald statement about what is desired."

The note ends by saying that the usage panel is reacting negatively not because of the usage itself but because "hopefully" has become a shibboleth.

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

On Apr 4, 2012, at 4:28 PM, Karl Hagen wrote:

> Regretfully, I disagree that "hopefully" is used incorrectly.
> Fortunately, the more sensible usage guides, such as the Merriam-Webster
> Dictionary of English Usage, back me up. Sadly, people continue to pick
> on "hopefully," even though it's been well established for a long time.
> It is to be hoped that so useful a word as "hopefully," which has no
> one-word equivalent in this context, will continue to flourish.
>
> On 4/4/2012 3:59 PM, Dan Nussbaum wrote:
>>
>> In the sentence, "Hopefully, the sun will rise tomorrow" the word hopefully=
>>  is being used incorrectly. What word should be used?
>>
>>
>> Dan Nussbaum=20
>>

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