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

According to an analysis by the company, a human in the same scenario would have still hit the child, while going faster — 14 miles per hour. —Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 30 Jan. 2026

Crypto‑market Researchers and Analysts can develop more robust models for forecasting or scenario analysis by including both crypto‑native variables, such as supply, adoption, and network activity, and macro/market-wide variables like liquidity, global economic conditions, and demand shocks. —William Jones, Ascend Agency, 30 Jan. 2026

This setup generates physically accurate synthetic scenarios that supplement real-world demonstrations. —Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026

However, travel insurance can also kick in with some winter weather scenarios. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 30 Jan. 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