thankfully not

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "thankfully not" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express relief or gratitude that something undesirable did not happen. Example: "The weather forecast predicted rain for the weekend, but thankfully not on the day of the picnic."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Oldman: Thankfully not.

The New York Times

Thankfully, not often.

Harvard University

Thankfully not, I think.

The Guardian

Enthralled, but thankfully not defeated.

Independent

Almost, but thankfully not quite.

The Guardian - Film

The player was thankfully not seriously hurt".

The Guardian - Sport

Poverty porn, it is thankfully not.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Thankfully not at the expense of individuality.

The Guardian - Sport

Blight's book is – thankfully – not a psychobiography.

The Guardian - Books

Thankfully not all of the tantalizing names were no-shows.

The New York Times - Arts

An easygoing, but thankfully not too easygoing, debut.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "thankfully not" to express relief or gratitude when describing a situation that could have been negative but was avoided. For example: "The project was delayed, but thankfully not cancelled."

Common error

While "thankfully not" is widely acceptable, avoid overuse in highly formal or academic writing. Consider using alternatives like "fortunately not" or rephrasing to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "thankfully not" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to express relief or gratitude that something did not occur. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "thankfully not" is a common and effective way to express relief that something undesirable did not happen. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and widely used, particularly in news and media. While versatile, it's important to consider the context and formality of your writing, with alternatives like "fortunately not" being more suitable for highly formal situations. Its neutral register makes it appropriate for a broad range of communications, conveying gratitude for avoided negative outcomes.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fortunately not

Replaces "thankfully" with "fortunately", maintaining the sense of relief.

gratefully not

Replaces "thankfully" with "gratefully", directly expressing gratitude.

happily not

Substitutes "thankfully" with "happily", emphasizing a positive outcome.

luckily not

Uses "luckily" instead of "thankfully", highlighting the role of chance.

mercifully not

Employs "mercifully" to convey a sense of divine or compassionate intervention.

cheerfully not

Substitute "thankfully" with "cheerfully", reinforcing a positive and pleasant perspective.

pleasingly not

Substitute "thankfully" with "pleasingly", to indicate delight about the outcome.

by good fortune, not

Adds "by good fortune" to emphasize the positive happenstance.

by a stroke of luck, not

Highlights the unexpected nature of the positive outcome.

auspiciously not

Uses "auspiciously" to indicate a favorable outcome.

FAQs

What does "thankfully not" mean?

The phrase "thankfully not" expresses relief that something undesirable did not happen. It indicates a sense of gratitude for the avoidance of a negative situation.

What can I say instead of "thankfully not"?

You can use alternatives like "fortunately not", "luckily not", or "happily not" depending on the context.

Is it correct to use "thankfully not" in formal writing?

While generally acceptable, consider the formality of your writing. In highly formal contexts, alternatives like "fortunately not" might be more appropriate.

How do I use "thankfully not" in a sentence?

You can use "thankfully not" to express relief that something did not occur, such as, "The storm was predicted to be severe, but thankfully not as destructive as anticipated."