scenario

American  

[si-nair-ee-oh, -nahr-] / sɪˈnɛər iˌoʊ, -ˈnɑr- /

noun

• scenarios
  plural

1. an outline of the plot of a dramatic work, giving particulars as to the scenes, characters, situations, etc.

2. the outline or the manuscript of a motion picture or television program, giving the action in the order in which it takes place, the description of scenes and characters, etc.

3. an imagined or projected sequence of events, especially any of several detailed plans or possibilities.

   One scenario calls for doubling profits by increasing our advertising, the other by reducing costs.

   Synonyms:

   sketch, concept, plan, scheme

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scenario British  

/ sɪˈnɑːrɪˌəʊ, sɪˈnɑː- /

noun

1. a summary of the plot of a play, etc, including information about its characters, scenes, etc

2. a predicted sequence of events

   let's try another scenario, involving the demise of democracy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• scenarist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scenarios
  plural

Etymology

Origin of scenario

First recorded in 1875–80; from Italian, from Latin scaenārium, scēnārium, noun use of scaenārius, scēnārius “belonging to the stage, theatrical,” from scaen(a), scēn(a) “background, stage, theater” ( see scene) + -ārius -ary

Explanation

A scenario is a specific possibility. To plan on playing with a bunch of bear cubs is a scenario — a dumb one, but still a scenario. When people are wondering what to do, they think of different scenarios. Moving to a big city is one scenario — moving to a tiny town is another. A football team has to plan for many scenarios, like the starting quarterback being injured. The government plans for hundreds of scenarios, such as natural disasters and attacks by terrorists. In literature, a scenario can mean a summing up of what's going on — what the situation is. A scenario is pretty similar to a situation, but a scenario hasn't happened yet and might not happen at all.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scenario scenarios

Three months is a "worst case" scenario, the developer told us, and it expected the work to be completed in three to four weeks.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Under this scenario, the overall HI reservoir can remain relatively stable while supplies of the molecular gas directly responsible for creating stars gradually decline.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026

Either scenario would likely imperil the administration’s plan to use the oil bounty to reload the strategic stocks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

In that scenario, people who claim early would see bigger cuts to their benefits.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Even with Tats there with us, it would’ve been a truly welcome scenario.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

JPMorgan’s Delta One Trading Desk took three likely scenarios and suggested the trades to make.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

Bailey said banks and other financial institutions should prepare for “more severe scenarios involving simultaneous disruption across multiple firms or shared technology dependencies.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

So for an undrafted player to make the team’s initial 53-man roster was among the most unlikely scenarios in the NFL.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

These figures are projections based on possible scale-up scenarios rather than existing production levels, but they illustrate the nutritional potential the researchers see in the technology.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

I retreat to a small hallway alcove, imagining backup scenarios.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Related Words

• plot
• scheme