status quo

noun

-ˈkwō 

: the existing state of affairs

seeks to preserve the status quo

The book became a guide for many restaurateurs fed up with the status quo.

—Ali Francis

In much of the world, people are dissatisfied with the status quo and eager to see changes for the better.

—The Christian Science Monitor

Synonyms of status quo

• normality

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

Still, the direction of travel for this industry is from a Wild West of essentially unbridled development to a more regulated status quo. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026

His characters confront moments of reckoning—some comic, others karmic, often both—where self-belief collides with a buckling status quo. — Ryan Chapman, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

That status quo — which amounts to Taiwan being a de facto independent state — is what Taiwan intends to defend, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Wu. — Eryk Michael Smith, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

If The Jazz Singer was forward-thinking in its technical aspects, its depiction of Jolson wearing blackface was rooted in a discriminatory status quo. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, state in which

First Known Use

1719, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for status quo

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

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

-ˈkwō 

: 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