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

The stock market tumbled — three separate days — because of investors’ both bearish and bullish fears about AI, including Nvidia’s somewhat tepid outlook and a viral blog post that imagined a hypothetical scenario in which white-collar work evaporated. —Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026

That aside, the film’s barrage of scenes, sketches, shout-outs and absurdist scenarios leading up to the climactic wine-making championship are largely harmless flights of farce. —Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026

During the ordeal, interviewees must go to multiple stations where they’re challenged to respond to different rescue scenarios. —Jayme Moye, Outside, 27 Feb. 2026

To clarify, consider the following scenario. —Ethan M. Stone, USA Today, 27 Feb. 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