status quo

noun

: 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 It was destined to be not an interim vehicle toward self-determination as planned but a guardian of an unsustainable status quo. Raja Khalidi, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2024 Most audit committee members know sticking with the procedural status quo is no longer enough. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 Season 4 The linchpin year that destroyed what was left of the Westeros status quo, while setting in motion all the defining conflicts of the series' back half. Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 The Alabama Supreme Court’s recent ruling that embryos created using in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) are legally equivalent to people has caused absolute chaos as healthcare providers try to figure out the implications of this new legal status quo. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 Its expanding lineup of EVs is the same as the new status quo for many domestic and global manufacturers. James Raia, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024 Constructing those two extreme scenarios — ceasefire and escalation — as well as a status quo middle ground, required making a lot of assumptions. Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 This miscalculation arises as revenue is contingent on maintaining a certain level of status quo, which is typically disrupted following the acquisition. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 But Netanyahu’s hard-line vision, which includes Israel maintaining indefinite military control over the territory, was panned by analysts as a bid to kick the can down the road and restore an untenable status quo. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'status quo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, state in which

First Known Use

1719, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of status quo was in 1719

Dictionary Entries Near status quo

Cite this Entry

“Status quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/status%20quo. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

status quo

noun
sta·​tus quo
ˌstāt-ə-ˈskwō,
ˌstat-
: the way things are now
chose to keep the status quo rather than make changes

Legal 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

More from Merriam-Webster on status quo

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