status quo

noun

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\ -ˈkwō

Definition of status quo

: the existing state of affairs seeks to preserve the status quo

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about status quo

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Synonyms & Antonyms for status quo

Synonyms

normalcy,
normality

Antonyms

abnormality

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 Crime, street sense and the status quo roil the mind of a teenager in the Watts section of Los Angeles. — Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, "Movies on TV this week: James Dean in ‘Giant’ on TCM and more," 2 Apr. 2021 Even if the status quo is restored, the Biden administration will be left with the issues that the 2015 agreement left unaddressed. — New York Times, "U.S. and Iran Agree to Indirect Talks on Returning to Nuclear Deal," 2 Apr. 2021 Fed up with the sexist and toxic status quo at her high school, a shy 16-year-old finds inspiration from her mother’s rebellious past and anonymously publishes a zine that sparks a school-wide revolution. — Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, "New on Netflix April 2021," 1 Apr. 2021 The status quo will not be changed by the latest atrocity or the others that will follow, as sure as rain. — BostonGlobe.com, "If 20 children killed in an elementary school didn’t change things, why would 10 dead adults in a supermarket?," 24 Mar. 2021 In less than a year, the company has transformed itself from a stodgy organization defined by the status quo into one eager to embrace change, adventure, contemporary music and new ways of connecting with a broader audience beyond core subscribers. — Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press, "Opera dream team: Acclaimed soprano Christine Goerke joins Yuval Sharon to lead MOT," 23 Mar. 2021 If the Legislature approves them with caveats, absentee voters would have more options than the 2019 status quo. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Jim Crow Is Not on the Georgia Ballot," 23 Mar. 2021 Staff at the Legislative Fiscal Office expect the cost of providing a status quo level of services to rise from $24 billion in the current two-year budget, to $25.6 million in 2021-2023. — oregonlive, "State and local governments in Oregon receive $4.3 billion from federal relief bill," 20 Mar. 2021 For decades, a precarious status quo prevailed here between Sudan, which owns the land according to a century-old treaty, and Ethiopia, which has occupied it while its citizens tilled the fields of sesame, sorghum, sunflower and cotton. — Washington Post, "A border war looms between Sudan and Ethiopia as Tigray conflict sends ripples through region," 19 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'status quo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near status quo

status quo ante bellum

status symbol

Statistics for status quo

Last Updated

6 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Status quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/status%20quo. Accessed 11 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for status quo

status quo

noun

English Language Learners Definition of status quo

: the current situation : the way things are now

See the full definition for status quo in the English Language Learners Dictionary

status quo

noun

\ -ˈkwō

Legal Definition of status quo

: 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

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