scenario

noun

sce·​nar·​io sə-ˈner-ē-ˌō 

 US also and especially British  -ˈnär-

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

Synonyms

• script
• screenplay

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 on the Web

Now, imagine a different scenario: every door in your office, from the main entrance to the broom closet, requires authentication. —Dror Liwer, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025

At the beginning of some training scenarios, an officer would fire a weapon from somewhere within the school, and actors would scream for help and sprint from the scene. —Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025

Last month, the Canali CEO told WWD that despite the complex scenario the company is not skimping on investment. —Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 7 July 2025

Taken together, the latest announcements from the White House seemed to dash any hopes that the tariff outlook would clear up this week or that some of the worst downside scenarios are off the table. —Jesse Pound, CNBC, 7 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin scaenarium place for erecting stages, from scaena stage

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

scenario

noun

sce·​nar·​io sə-ˈnar-ē-ˌō 

-ˈner-,

-ˈnär-

plural scenarios

1

a

: an outline of a play

b

: the text of an opera

2

: screenplay

3

: a sequence of events especially when imagined