status quo

noun

: the existing state of affairs
seeks to preserve the status quo

Examples of status quo in a Sentence

He is content with the status quo and does not like change. civic leaders who are afraid to do anything that might change the town's status quo
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But a negative signal against the incumbent party, against a status quo that has left people behind, etc. is not an affirmative signal for everything the opposition is offering. ABC News, 24 Jan. 2025 Being unimpressed might just be the new status quo for smartphones. Callum Booth, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 However, continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025 As far back as JFK, U.S. officials have been trapped in this irrational family feud that empowers hardliners in both governments while holding citizens here and there hostage to a bureaucratic status quo. Lissa Weinmann, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for status quo 

Word History

Etymology

Latin, state in which

First Known Use

1719, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of status quo was in 1719

Dictionary Entries Near status quo

Cite this Entry

“Status quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/status%20quo. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

status quo

noun
sta·​tus quo
ˌstāt-ə-ˈskwō,
ˌstat-
: the way things are now
chose to keep the status quo rather than make changes

Legal Definition

status quo

noun
: the existing state of affairs
specifically : the last actual and uncontested state of affairs that preceded a controversy and that is to be preserved by preliminary injunction compare status quo ante
Etymology

Latin, state in which

More from Merriam-Webster on status quo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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