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
b
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
Selig Harrison 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
And maybe the Democrats would push it through on partisan grounds in a scenario where the Democrats had narrowly managed to win the House even while the Republicans had a significant structural advantage.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
What to read next The series is told from three perspectives, including the fictional Prime Minister Shinji Azuma (Fumiyo Kohinata), the power plant’s courageous manager, Yoshida (Koji Yakusho), and several workers who risked their lives to prevent the worst-case scenario from taking shape.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 14 May 2026
In the dream scenario for the Kansas Jayhawks baseball team, KU would have won its next-to-last Big 12 regular-season series at home last weekend and clinched the program’s first conference title since 1949.
—Gary Bedore
may 14, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
The second scenario paints a more concerning picture.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scenario
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Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
What to read next The series is told from three perspectives, including the fictional Prime Minister Shinji Azuma (Fumiyo Kohinata), the power plant’s courageous manager, Yoshida (Koji Yakusho), and several workers who risked their lives to prevent the worst-case scenario from taking shape.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 14 May 2026
In the dream scenario for the Kansas Jayhawks baseball team, KU would have won its next-to-last Big 12 regular-season series at home last weekend and clinched the program’s first conference title since 1949.
—Gary Bedore
may 14, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
The second scenario paints a more concerning picture.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scenario
Cite this Entry
“Scenario.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scenario. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
3
: a sequence of events especially when imagined
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