What Is an Example of a Scenario?

A scenario is a hypothetical description of events or situations that could possibly play out; for example, a description of what the United States would be like if John McCain had won the 2008 presidential election instead of Barack Obama is an example of a scenario. Scenarios can also be very simple, such as people weighing their options for what they might do during the weekend.

People can come up with scenarios to make better informed decisions about things like investing and planning their future lives. For example, someone who is considering whether to stay where they are currently living or to move can think of different scenarios that might play out in each place.