status quo

noun

-ˈkwō 

: 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

In much of the world, people are dissatisfied with the status quo and eager to see changes for the better.

—The Christian Science Monitor

Synonyms of status quo

• normality

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

These characters long for a status quo that’s comforting but not tenable. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

The unregulated status quo is unlikely to hold as volume grows and adverse events accumulate. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026

The existing status quo was to measure time from a destination’s local meridian, its longitudinal position on Earth. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026

The current status quo in both the Senate race and down-ballot races isn’t guaranteed to hold, Holladay noted. — Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, state in which

First Known Use

1719, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for status quo

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

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

-ˈkwō 

: 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