Looking up...
“In the worst-case scenario, we might lose the entire investment.”
This means imagining the most negative possible outcome to prepare for it.
a description of a possible sequence of events
The company developed multiple scenarios for the product launch.
They planned for different possible outcomes of the launch.
Let's consider the best-case scenario first.
We'll start by imagining the most favorable situation.
Often used in business, planning, and risk assessment contexts.
a setting or background against which events occur
The novel's opening scenario reveals the protagonist's troubled past.
The story begins by describing the environment where the main character's past unfolds.
Common in storytelling and narrative analysis.
Don't confuse 'scenario' with 'scene' or 'setting' in everyday speech. It always implies a sequence of events, not just a backdrop.
Reserve 'scenario' for imagined situations. For real events, use 'situation' or 'case'.
From Italian *scenario*, meaning 'theatrical scene' (from Latin *scena*, 'stage'), which entered English in the late 18th century. The theatrical sense evolved to include any imagined sequence of events.
Used in both formal and literary contexts. In business or planning, it often implies preparation for different outcomes. Avoid using it to describe actual events—it implies imagination or projection.