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 of scenario

• 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

That’s the scenario involving Inglewood football coach Mil’von James, who missed two games after the Southern Section alerted the school that James played two ineligible players during a game in Texas last month. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

The allied soldiers performed well in a scenario that mimicked previous conflicts with limited air threats, but their systems were not designed for the large drone swarms of modern combat. — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026

Here’s how the next phase likely breaks down, and what each scenario means for pet owners deciding whether to buy in. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026

In that scenario, a handful of boards, predisposed to redeploy capital toward the highest-conviction bet, would simply need to conclude that the highest-conviction bet has shifted. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

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