adv
Uncommon
thankfully
Thankfully (adv) means Fortunately — used to introduce a piece of good news. Example: “Thankfully, no one was hurt in the crash.”
adv
1
Fortunately — used to introduce a piece of good news.
"Thankfully, no one was hurt in the crash."
"Thankfully, the flight was only delayed by an hour."
"Thankfully, the rain stopped before the wedding began."
2
In a manner that shows gratitude.
"He accepted the award thankfully, praising his team."
"She smiled thankfully and took the warm blanket from the stranger."
""Thank you so much," he said thankfully, handing back the lost wallet."
How to use thankfully
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMostly used at the start of a sentence to mean "luckily."
Common mistake
Some traditionalists object to the "fortunately" sense, insisting thankfully should only describe someone's gratitude, but the "luckily" use is now standard in everyday English.
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more thankfully
- Superlative
- most thankfully
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____, no one was hurt in the crash.
Etymology
Comes from Middle English thankfully, thankefully, þonkfulliche, from Old English þancfullīċe, equivalent to thankful + -ly.
Related words
Rhymes for thankfully
See all rhymes for thankfully →Frequently asked questions
What does “thankfully” mean?
The word “thankfully” means fortunately — used to introduce a piece of good news. In plain terms, mostly used at the start of a sentence to mean "luckily.".
How do you use “thankfully” in a sentence?
Here is “thankfully” used in a sentence: “Thankfully, no one was hurt in the crash.”
What part of speech is “thankfully”?
“Thankfully” is an adverb.
Is “thankfully” a common word?
“Thankfully” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “thankfully” have?
“Thankfully” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: fortunately — used to introduce a piece of good news.
What is the difference between "thankfully" and "fortunately"?
Both words can introduce good news at the start of a sentence, and in that use they are close to interchangeable. "Thankfully" carries a slightly stronger sense of relief or gratitude, while "fortunately" simply signals good luck without that emotional tone.
Is it grammatically correct to start a sentence with "thankfully"?
Yes, this is a standard use called a sentence adverb, where "thankfully" comments on the whole sentence rather than describing how an action was done, as in "Thankfully, the storm passed quickly." Some traditional style guides once objected to this pattern, but it is now widely accepted in both speech and writing.
What is the difference between "thankfully" meaning "fortunately" and "thankfully" meaning "with gratitude"?
When placed at the start of a sentence and describing the whole situation, "thankfully" usually means "fortunately." When it describes how someone performs an action, as in "she accepted the gift thankfully," it means "in a grateful manner." Context and position in the sentence usually make the intended meaning clear.
