: 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
The finger-pointing status quo has become a politically safe homeostasis absolving them all of direct accountability.
—
Max Taves, Mercury News, 31 May 2025
Such a translation suggests a positive anticipatory action rather than a negative status quo decision, but the essential element is social risk aversion in the context of environmental harm.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Chen, 21, who is also pro status quo, said not everything is about politics.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 18 May 2025
Kate and Joe are adored for their against-all-odds love story and fierce philanthropy — but when someone threatens their new status quo, Joe handles it the old-fashioned way and lights the fuse on blowing up his entire life.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for status quo
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Max Taves, Mercury News, 31 May 2025
Such a translation suggests a positive anticipatory action rather than a negative status quo decision, but the essential element is social risk aversion in the context of environmental harm.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Chen, 21, who is also pro status quo, said not everything is about politics.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 18 May 2025
Kate and Joe are adored for their against-all-odds love story and fierce philanthropy — but when someone threatens their new status quo, Joe handles it the old-fashioned way and lights the fuse on blowing up his entire life.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for status quo
Cite this Entry
“Status quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/status%20quo. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal 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
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