Wordnet 3.0
ADVERB (2)
1.
with hope;
in a hopeful manner;
- Example: "we searched hopefully for a good position"2.
it is hoped;
- Example: "hopefully the weather will be fine on Sunday"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Hopeful \Hope"ful\, a.
1. Full of hope, or agreeable expectation; inclined to hope;
expectant.
[1913 Webster]
Men of their own natural inclination hopeful and
strongly conceited. --Hooker.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Hopefully \Hope"ful*ly\, adv.
1. In a hopeful manner.
[PJC]
2. I hope; if all goes well; as, hopefully, the dress will be
ready before the party.
Note: Some prescriptivists object to this usage as being
ungrammatical, but it is very common and well
understood. It is usually used to begin a sentence
describing a desired future event.
[PJC]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
hopefully
adv 1: with hope; in a hopeful manner; "we searched hopefully
for a good position" [ant: hopelessly]
2: it is hoped; "hopefully the weather will be fine on Sunday"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
45 Moby Thesaurus words for "hopefully":
after a time, after a while, afterward, afterwards, airily, anon,
anticipatingly, anticipatively, anticipatorily, before long,
blithely, by and by, by destiny, cheerfully, cheerily, confidently,
expectantly, expectedly, expectingly, fatally, fondly, genially,
gladly, happily, hopingly, imminently, in aftertime, in the future,
irrepressibly, jauntily, joyfully, later, lightly, optimistically,
pleasantly, predictably, probably, proximo, sanguinely, smilingly,
soon, tomorrow, with bated breath, with breathless expectation,
with good cheer