The problem of the scattering of a spherical acoustic wave by an elastic circular cylinder of infinite length is investigated theoretically in this paper. In a cylindrical coordinate system, the mathematical form of a spherical wave is similar to that of a plane wave. Thus it is not necessary to solve the relevant differential equations and boundary conditions. An exact solution to the present problem can be directly formulated by using the already known solution for plane‐wave incidence. This solution is expressed by an integral, which always involves a numerical treatment. The scattered pressure is calculated for an aluminum cylinder in water. A detailed discussion of the results reveals the features of the scattering of a spherical wave.