: 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
Ali FrancisIn much of the world, people are dissatisfied with the status quo and eager to see changes for the better.—The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science MonitorExamples 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
There, on May 29, Sojourner Truth delivered a legendary speech that called on attendees to reject the racial and gender biases used to limit her place in society and to defy a status quo that devalued her as a Black woman and treated her as invisible and expendable.
—Jocelyn Frye, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
There are antidotes to the problem of our status quo’s ineffective and punitive safety net.
—Aisha Nyandoro, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
When Yumeko, played by Martineau, a mysterious transfer student arrives, her gambling prowess puts her in the crosshairs of the powerful Student Council, while her secret quest for revenge threatens to upend the school’s status quo entirely.
—Peter White, Deadline, 18 June 2026
But that is simply a return to pre-war status quo.
—Justin Fishel, ABC News, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for status quo
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Jocelyn Frye, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
There are antidotes to the problem of our status quo’s ineffective and punitive safety net.
—Aisha Nyandoro, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
When Yumeko, played by Martineau, a mysterious transfer student arrives, her gambling prowess puts her in the crosshairs of the powerful Student Council, while her secret quest for revenge threatens to upend the school’s status quo entirely.
—Peter White, Deadline, 18 June 2026
But that is simply a return to pre-war status quo.
—Justin Fishel, ABC News, 18 June 2026
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 22 Jun. 2026.
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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