Scenario

/səˈnɑːrioʊ/

nounmedium🔥Very CommonArts
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A predicted or imagined sequence of events; a possible situation.

/səˈnɑːrioʊ/

nounneutralmedium
Arts

A possible situation or sequence of events.

The team brainstormed various disaster scenarios.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're planning a party. You might think about different 'scenarios' like what if it rains (indoor plan!), or what if the DJ is late (backup music!).

👶 For kids: A scenario is like a made-up story of what might happen.

More Examples

2

The report outlined several possible scenarios for future growth.

3

They created a scenario where the protagonist overcame all obstacles.

How It's Used

Business

"The company is preparing different scenarios for the economic downturn."

Film/Theater

"The writer pitched a detailed scenario for the new movie."

Planning

"We need to consider all potential scenarios before making a decision."

2

The written version of a film's plot or a play's plot; the screenplay or script.

/səˈnɑːrioʊ/

nounneutralmedium
Literature

A written outline of a film or play.

The scenario for the new series was praised for its originality.

💡 Simply: The 'scenario' for a movie is like a detailed roadmap of the story, with the characters, the setting, and what happens in each scene.

👶 For kids: The scenario is the script or plan for a movie or play.

More Examples

2

She's writing a scenario for a short film.

3

The workshop focused on how to write a compelling scenario.

How It's Used

Film/Theater

"The director worked closely with the screenwriter to adapt the scenario."

Tip:The *scenario* is the written *scene* outlining the story of a movie.

Idioms & expressions

worst-case scenario

The most negative outcome that could occur.

"The company prepared for the worst-case scenario of a major economic recession."

From Italian *scenario*, from *scena* ('scene'), from Latin *scaena*, from Greek *skēnē* ('stage, scene').

The word 'scenario' gained popularity in English in the early 20th century, primarily associated with the film industry.

Memory tip

Think of a movie *scene* -- it's a segment of a larger *scenario*.

Word Origin

LanguageItalian
Original meaning

"stage, scene"

worst-case scenariopossible scenariolikely scenariodifferent scenariosfuture scenariosto create a scenarioto outline a scenarioscenario planning

Common misspellings

scenerioscenaroscenarios

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written