Usage of the word "hopefully"

[Serzige]

Hi everybody...
I've heard people using the word "hopefully" many times. Even though I have tried to figure what its meaning is, I haven't been able to get it yet. I've seen, for instance, that you use it mostly with future tense(but not sure about it). So, please help me out here, give me some examples to see what it means and thanks in advance.

For instance,
Hopefully I'll get a girlfriend by July.(Is it right?)
_________________
Sergio M.
"Life is too short to grieve in sorrow"

[Jamie (K)]

The word "hopefully" is very contentious, and there are always fights between priggishly prescriptive grammarians and people who are somewhat more tolerant of language change.

The prigs claim that the only legitimate meaning of "hopefully" is "full of hope". So you could say, "The dog waited hopefully by the door for his owner to come home from work." Or, "He looked at his parents hopefully and awaited their answer."

Many people use the word at the beginning of a sentence to mean, "if all goes well," "God willing," "Let's hope that," or something like that. In that usage, you'll hear sentences like, "Hopefully, we'll get to work on time," or, "Hopefully, he's got enough money for the trip." The really reactionary English grammarians hate this usage and claim it's wrong, but the train has already left the station, and they'd better get used to people talking like that.

[Alan]

Hi,

There's a town in the south of England called Tunbridge Wells, which has a reputation for being stuffy, snobby and very conservative in outlook. There is now a fixed expression for a certain type of person based on the town's reputation, which is Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells, the closing signature of an imaginary newspaper letter writer who is expressing horror and disgust at any new development. That appellation might well suit -

[Serzige]

Ok...thanks Jamie. However, is it necessary that "hopefully" goes at the beginning. Couldn' it be like this? "I'll get a girlfriend, hopefully,by July...

Thanks again!
_________________
Sergio M.
"Life is too short to grieve in sorrow"

[Jadelinna]

I don't think it's necessary, but it does emphasize your point.