scenario

noun sce·nar·io \ sə-ˈner-ē-ˌō , US also and especially British -ˈnär- \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: scenario in a Sentence

Definition of scenario

plural scenarios

1 a : an outline or synopsis of a play; especially : a plot outline used by actors of the commedia dell'arte

b : the libretto of an opera

2 a : screenplay

b : shooting script

3 : a sequence of events especially when imagined; especially : an account or synopsis of a possible course of action or events

his scenario for a settlement envisages … reunification
—Selig Harrison

See scenario defined for English-language learners

See scenario defined for kids

Examples of scenario in a Sentence

A possible scenario would be that we move to the city.
The most likely scenario is that he goes back to school in the fall.
The best-case scenario would be for us to finish the work by tomorrow.
In the worst-case scenario, we would have to start the project all over again.

Recent Examples of scenario from the Web

So the Lakers scenario is useful more as a thought experiment.

— andrew sharp, SI.com, "Kevin Durant Won't Leave the Warriors, But Maybe He Should," 8 June 2018
While the scenario and incident are dramatic, the head of the Miami-Dade Police Department says the arrest shows the difficulty of dealing with people who may be mentally ill in public places.

— doug phillips, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Stun guns had little effect on angry man; arrest is a lesson, officials say," 8 June 2018
So without three more justices who share that mind-set — a prospect that is not likely to materialize anytime soon — this scenario isn’t really in the cards.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "What Would a Post–Roe v. Wade America Look Like?," 3 June 2018
To Pyongyang’s ears, that scenario is less an offer than a threat.

— Washington Post, "Analysis: North Korea sees US economic handouts as threat," 31 May 2018
When diversity numbers draw backlash, many companies cite the pipeline problem — a reference to a lack of available, diverse talent — but Lubetich's scenario is strong evidence against that excuse.

— madeline buxton, refinery29.com, "A Former Snap Engineer's Farewell Email Should Be Included In Future Job Descriptions," 30 May 2018
Boone made sure to note that the rookie sensation was available off the bench if needed and likely would have been in the lineup had the scenario not been a day game after a night game.

— charles o'brien, courant.com, "Masahiro Tanaka Leads Yankees Over Shohei Ohtani, Angels," 27 May 2018
Hayden said the most optimistic scenario for the summit is to reach an agreement to keep making the Korean peninsula more stable and less prone to war.

— Fortune, "U.S. Delegation and North Korean Officials Talking in Preparation for Summit," 27 May 2018
Imagine a scenario where the ball is out with a player for corner kick and a player hauls off and strikes a player in the penalty box, wouldn’t that be a penalty kick?

— jordan culver, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando City coach Jason Kreis critical of ref after loss," 26 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scenario.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.