scenario
UK[sɪˈnɑː.ri.əʊ]US[səˈnɛr.i.oʊ]
n
A written outline of a film, play, or other performance, describing the plot, characters, and scenes.
n
A postulated sequence or development of events; a possible situation.
Morpheme Breakdown
scene
ario
scene
stage, scene
ario
pertaining to, connected with
Etymology
The word 'scenario' entered English from Italian in the late 19th century, originally referring to an outline of a play. Its Italian source, 'scenario', is built from 'scena' (scene) and the adjectival suffix '-ario', literally meaning "pertaining to the stage." The Latin root 'scena' and its Greek ancestor 'skēnē' originally denoted a tent or booth, which evolved to mean the stage building in a theatre. This etymological journey, from a physical structure (tent/stage) to a detailed written plan for action on that stage, provides the logical bridge to its modern abstract meaning of a projected sequence of events or a hypothetical situation.
Analysis
Structure: scene (stage, scene) + ario (pertaining to, connected with)
'scene' from Latin 'scena' (stage, scene), from Greek 'skēnē' (tent, stage building). '-ario' is a suffix forming adjectives and nouns, from Latin '-arius' (pertaining to, connected with).
Examples
The film's scenario was praised for its originality and tight plot.
In the worst-case scenario, the company would have to declare bankruptcy.
Economists are modeling several different scenarios for post-election trade policy.