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quid pro quo
noun
Frequently Asked Questions
Is quid pro quo legal?
Quid pro quo means "something given or received for something else." There is nothing inherently illegal in giving or receiving something in exchange for something else, but in legal contexts quid pro quo often refers to something that is in fact illegal, such as if a company gives a government official money in exchange for receiving a contract that rightly should be given to whatever company is best able to meet the requirements for the contract.
Is quid pro quo bribery?
One might say that every bribe is a case of quid pro quo, but not every quid pro quo is a case of bribery. A bribe is something (such as money or a favor) given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of someone, and while quid pro quo may to be used to describe this, it may also refer to something merely traded for something else.
What does quid pro quo have to do with medicine?
In current use, quid pro quo has little to do with medicine, but the Latin phrase it came from (which may be translated as "something for something") originated with apothecaries (people who prepare and sell drugs or compounds for medicinal purposes). In the 16th through the 18th centuries a quid pro quo often referred to the substitution of one medicine for another.
Synonyms
Examples of quid pro quo in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quid pro quo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
New Latin, something for something
1532, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Quid pro quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quid%20pro%20quo. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Legal Definition
quid pro quo
nounNew Latin, something for something
More from Merriam-Webster on quid pro quo
Britannica English: Translation of quid pro quo for Arabic Speakers
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