scene / sēn/ • n. 1. the place where an incident in real life or fiction occurs or occurred: the emergency team were among the first on the scene. ∎  a place, with the people, objects, and events in it, regarded as having a particular character or making a particular impression: a scene of carnage. ∎  a landscape: thick snow had turned the scene outside into a picture postcard. ∎  an incident of a specified nature: there had already been some scenes of violence. ∎  a place or representation of an incident: scenes of 1930s America. ∎  a specified area of activity or interest: the country music scene. ∎  [usu. in sing.] a public display of emotion or anger: she was loath to make a scene in the office.2. a sequence of continuous action in a play, movie, opera, or book: a scene from Brando's first film. ∎  a subdivision of an act of a play in which the time is continuous and the setting fixed and which does not usually involve a change of characters: beginning at Act One, Scene One. ∎  [usu. as adj.] the pieces of scenery used in a play or opera: scene changes.PHRASES: behind the scenes out of sight of the public at a theater or organization. ∎ fig. secretly: diplomatic maneuvers going on behind the scenes.come (or appear or arrive) on the scene arrive; appear.not one's scene inf. not something one enjoys or is interested in: sorry, that witchcraft stuff is not my scene.set the scene describe a place or situation in which something is about to happen. ∎  create the conditions for a future event: the congressman's speech set the scene for a bitter debate.