thankfully however

USAGE SUMMARY

"thankfully however" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used to introduce a contrast or unexpected outcome after expressing gratitude or relief. Example: "I was worried about missing my flight, but thankfully however, it was delayed and I made it just in time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

26 human-written examples

Thankfully, however, there are a few trig points to guide us.

The Guardian

Thankfully, however, these figures are so anal and literal that they're almost without meaning at all.

The Guardian - Opinion

Thankfully, however, mostly quite wrong.The first part is that society is not broken, at all.

The Economist

Thankfully, however, every expert I speak to thinks future transport solutions will include the private car - we live in the sticks and rely heavily on our Volvo.

The Guardian

Thankfully, however, Philae has now definitely landed, although there's still some concern about its long term prospects without harpoons to secure it in place.

Independent

"Thankfully, however, this is the year 2000 and we Jews of Israel have an Israeli Defense Force and an Israeli Police Force to bring the desecrators to justice and to end this round of violence".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

34 human-written examples

MacDonald thinks "the ugly beige era has passed (thankfully)." However, she adds that sustainability must be better communicated so it's not considered a compromise.

The Guardian

(There is also overwhelming agreement, thankfully, that however one feels about homosexuality, the death penalty is an extreme and unwarranted response!).

Huffington Post

The first two episodes of the third series, however, thankfully suggest Downton is returning to form.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

How is that done without losing the charity's personality and integrity?" Its work, however, thankfully continues.

Independent

Thankfully for Google, however, it's a marathon, not a sprint.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the tone of your writing. While acceptable in many contexts, "thankfully however" may sound slightly redundant or informal in very formal or academic writing. Choose more concise alternatives if needed.

Common error

Avoid starting multiple consecutive sentences with "thankfully however". This can make your writing sound repetitive and less impactful. Vary your sentence structure and use synonyms to maintain reader interest.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "thankfully however" functions as an adverbial conjunction, linking two clauses. It expresses gratitude or relief with "thankfully", while "however" introduces a contrast or exception. Ludwig AI validates its grammatical correctness, showing its role in adding nuance to statements.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

96%

Science

2%

Wiki

2%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "thankfully however" is a grammatically correct and relatively common phrase used to express relief or gratitude while introducing a contrasting element. Ludwig AI confirms this with many real-world examples. While its register is mostly neutral, it appears more frequently in news and media sources than in academic or strictly formal contexts. If you are looking for alternatives "fortunately nevertheless", "luckily yet" or "happily even so". When using it, make sure it contributes to the nuance of your writing and avoid overusing it. Pay attention to the tone and adjust to the formality of the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fortunately although

Replaces "thankfully" with "fortunately" and "however" with "although", making the sentence more straightforward.

fortunately nevertheless

Replaces "thankfully" with "fortunately" and "however" with "nevertheless", providing a more formal tone.

thankfully but

Uses the simple conjunction "but" instead of "however" for a more direct contrast.

luckily yet

Substitutes "thankfully" with "luckily" and "however" with "yet", resulting in a slightly less formal expression.

mercifully still

Uses "mercifully" instead of "thankfully" and "still" in place of "however", adding a touch of solemnity.

happily even so

Replaces "thankfully" with "happily" and "however" with "even so", which lightens the tone while maintaining contrast.

happily in spite of that

Emphasizes the positive feeling with "happily" while using the longer phrase "in spite of that" to indicate contrast.

thank goodness nonetheless

Emphasizes gratitude with "thank goodness" and uses the formal "nonetheless" to introduce the contrast.

thank heaven nevertheless

Expresses gratitude with "thank heaven" and contrasts it with the formality of "nevertheless".

luckily be that as it may

Substitutes "thankfully" with "luckily" and "however" with the idiom "be that as it may", creating a more verbose contrast.

FAQs

What does "thankfully however" mean?

The phrase "thankfully however" expresses relief about a situation while acknowledging a contrasting or complicating factor. It combines gratitude with a sense of something still needing to be addressed.

Is "thankfully however" grammatically correct?

Yes, "thankfully however" is grammatically correct. Ludwig AI confirms its acceptability and provides numerous examples of its use in published writing.

What are some alternatives to "thankfully however"?

You can use alternatives like "fortunately nevertheless", "luckily yet", or "happily even so", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "thankfully however" in writing?

Use "thankfully however" when you want to express a sense of relief tempered by a contrasting or challenging aspect of the situation. It's suitable for news articles, blog posts, and general writing, but may be too informal for strictly academic or business contexts.