sentence adverb

noun

, Grammar.

1. an adverb modifying or commenting upon the content of a sentence as a whole or upon the conditions under which it is uttered, as frankly in Frankly, he can't be trusted.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sentence adverb¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

“Writers who use hopefully as a sentence adverb, as in Hopefully the measures will be adopted,” he wrote, “should be aware that the usage is unacceptable to many critics, including a large majority of the Usage Panel. But it is not easy to explain why critics dislike this use of hopefully” because “there is no precise substitute.”

From Washington Post