quid pro quo

noun

ˌkwid-ˌprō-ˈkwō 

: something given or received for something else

also : a deal arranging a quid pro quo

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 of quid pro quo

• exchange

Examples of quid pro quo in a Sentence

in politics nobody does something for nothing: there's always a quid pro quo involved

Recent Examples on the Web

Room for Disagreement In an email to Semafor, Patrick Lee Plaisance, a professor in ethics at Penn State, told Semafor that Kristof’s quotes of various campaign donors did not necessitate disclosure, noting that there was no quid pro quo for coverage, regardless of the Times’ disclosure promise. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 15 June 2026

So, in somewhat of a quid pro quo, FIFA awarded the United States hosting rights to the 1994 World Cup Finals on the back of America's promise to create a new top-tier domestic league. —Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 14 June 2026

The quid pro quo made total sense to me. —Kevin Brazil, Harpers Magazine, 9 June 2026

Calvin Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, said in this case, the quid pro quo is likely broken as Griffith had no way of knowing whether the recipients of the pastries actually went out and voted. —Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, something for something

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quid pro quo

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

Legal Definition

quid pro quo

noun

ˌkwid-ˌprō-ˈkwō 

: something (as consideration) given or received for something else

Etymology

New Latin, something for something