English

Adverb

regretfully ‎(comparative more regretfully, superlative most regretfully)

1. In a regretful manner, with regret.
2. (proscribed) Unfortunately, in a manner inspiring or deserving regret; used only as a sentence adverb (to introduce and modify an entire sentence).

Usage notes

In careful usage, regretfully means with regret (in a manner expressed with regret, expressing remorse), while regrettably means deserving regret (sadly, unfortunately), and in the body of sentences this distinction is observed:^[1]John regretfully asked for forgiveness, not *John regrettably asked for forgiveness, and The weather was regrettably terrible, not *The weather was regretfully terrible. These terms are occasionally conflated, a practice noted and decried since Fowler 1926 (in the forms regretful and regrettable).^[2]

However, in use as a sentence adverb, these are sometimes used interchangeably to mean “unfortunately”,^[1] a practice noted since the 1960s in the United States,^[2] as in: Regrettably, it is raining or Regretfully, it is raining, the latter being proscribed by some. This is similar to and possibly influenced by the use of hopefully,^[2] which predates this usage of regretfully, and is both far more popular than regretfully and has no precise equivalent, *hopeably not existing.

Synonyms

• (in a regretful manner): sorrowfully, ruefully
• (unfortunately): sadly, unfortunately, sad to say, regrettably, alas

Related terms

• Category:English words containing but not directly derived from: regret
• Category:English words derived from: regret

Translations

References

1. 1 2 regrettably/regretfully, Paul Brians, Common Errors in English Usage
2. 1 2 3 Merriam-Webster's dictionary of English usage, 1994, ISBN 978-0-87779132-4, p. 808