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
The teams that finish ninth and 10th will have to win two games in a row while facing a single-elimination scenario.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 13 Apr. 2024
The planners envision a scenario in which hundreds, even thousands of the machines engage in coordinated battle.
—Frank Bajak, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
That’s the kind of movie Civil War is: one that invents a nightmare-on-earth scenario and takes great pains to portray it as realistically as possible, with the aim of jolting us to attention.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Fittingly, the different parties foresee different chaos scenarios.
—Bychloe Berger, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
The scenario might seem counterintuitive, given that numerous states prohibit felons from holding state or local office and even restrict their right to vote.
—David Nakamura, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
That exact scenario played out recently with a University of North Georgia student named Marley Stevens who claims an AI detection tool interpreted her use of the popular spelling and writing aid Grammarly as cheating.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 11 Apr. 2024
With topics ranging from negotiating crowded intersections to skid prevention, these sessions cater to the specific needs of fleet drivers, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of vehicles in various scenarios.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
By the end of 2023, some union members viewed AI as the beginning of the end, a doomsday scenario along the lines of Judgment Day in The Terminator franchise.
—Dan Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 13 Apr. 2024
The planners envision a scenario in which hundreds, even thousands of the machines engage in coordinated battle.
—Frank Bajak, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
That’s the kind of movie Civil War is: one that invents a nightmare-on-earth scenario and takes great pains to portray it as realistically as possible, with the aim of jolting us to attention.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Fittingly, the different parties foresee different chaos scenarios.
—Bychloe Berger, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
The scenario might seem counterintuitive, given that numerous states prohibit felons from holding state or local office and even restrict their right to vote.
—David Nakamura, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
That exact scenario played out recently with a University of North Georgia student named Marley Stevens who claims an AI detection tool interpreted her use of the popular spelling and writing aid Grammarly as cheating.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 11 Apr. 2024
With topics ranging from negotiating crowded intersections to skid prevention, these sessions cater to the specific needs of fleet drivers, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of vehicles in various scenarios.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
By the end of 2023, some union members viewed AI as the beginning of the end, a doomsday scenario along the lines of Judgment Day in The Terminator franchise.
—Dan Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scenario.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near scenario
Cite this Entry
“Scenario.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scenario. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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