quid pro quo
noun
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Definition of quid pro quo
: something given or received for something else also : a deal arranging a quid pro quo
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Synonyms for quid pro quo
Synonyms
back-and-forth, barter, commutation, dicker, exchange, swap, trade, trade-off, truck
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Examples of quid pro quo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In his closing argument, Scuderi told the jurors that the central weakness of the prosecution’s case was the absence of evidence of an explicit quid pro quo in which Green agreed to sell his office. — Craig R. Mccoy, Philly.com, "Former Philly Sheriff John Green beats every charge in federal bribery-conspiracy trial," 3 Apr. 2018 Mr Trump explained the quid pro quo at the heart of the show. — The Economist, "Donald Trump insists on trade reciprocity. But what kind?," 12 July 2018 The incident prompted an internal affairs investigation into whether there was any quid pro quo and the troopers were cleared, the source said. — Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, "Records: State Police captain's friendship with towing boss under investigation," 19 June 2018 What had been dubbed a denuclearization summit was actually light on the specifics, beyond its quid pro quo joint statement twinning North Korea’s commitment to denuclearize with US security commitments for Kim. — Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, "Despite murky details, summit sends NK clear message: Welcome to the club," 12 June 2018 Beijing has also offered to remove tariffs on billions of dollars of U.S. farm products as part of the negotiations, although one person said the White House didn’t offer any quid pro quo. — Bob Davis, WSJ, "U.S., China Agree on Outline to Settle ZTE Controversy," 22 May 2018 For instance, one charge, a quid pro quo trade of favors, is incredibly hard to prove. — Chrissie Thompson, Cincinnati.com, "FBI's interest in Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger: What we know – and don't know," 8 Apr. 2018 Sichel said last week that there was no quid pro quo. — Philly.com, "Abington S.D. foundation created to manage billionaire Stephen Schwarzman's $25M gift; raises more questions about deal," 9 Apr. 2018 Prosecutions occur under two conditions: When a donation is corrupt and the donor is seeking a quid pro quo from the candidate. — Paul Bond, The Hollywood Reporter, "Dinesh D'Souza Reveals What Trump Told Him on the Phone Before the Pardon," 31 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quid pro quo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
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Trending: Interviewee Claims State Dept. Official Offered a 'Quid Pro Quo' on Clinton Emails
The phrase means “this for that"
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Last Updated
13 Aug 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for quid pro quo
The first known use of quid pro quo was in 1582
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More Definitions for quid pro quo
quid pro quo
nounFinancial Definition of quid pro quo
What It Is
Quid pro quo is a Latin phrase that literally means "something for something." The phrase usually indicates an exchange of goods or services of roughly equivalent value.
How It Works
From a legal perspective, quid pro quo indicates that a good or service has been traded for something of equal value. In particular, quid pro quo is used explicitly to indicate that there has been "consideration" in a contract, meaning that there are goods or services being delivered and that acceptable payment is made for these goods or services. Without consideration, or quid pro quo, for example, a contract may be determined to be nonbinding and invalid.
In the political world, for example, quid pro quo sometimes refers to giving support, financial or otherwise, to a political candidate in exchange for the expectation of direct support for an activity of the political benefactor. Quid pro quo may appear as bribery in these cases and such support must always be tested for conflicts of interest.
Why It Matters
Quid pro quo is one of the most common Latin legal terms used. In any transaction, legal, political or otherwise, it is helpful to know the quid pro quo, that is, the balance of the value of the service or good and the financial compensation being offered.
Source: Investing Answers
quid pro quo
noun
English Language Learners Definition of quid pro quo
: something that is given to you or done for you in return for something you have given to or done for someone else
See the full definition for quid pro quo in the English Language Learners Dictionary
quid pro quo
noun
\
Legal Definition of quid pro quo
: something (as consideration) given or received for something else
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