: 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
And each one preserves the commission status quo, at least in the short run.
—
Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Fortunately, Black women are working hard to change this status quo and increase diversity within the field.
—Essence, 14 Mar. 2024
In other words, the previous status quo ensured that promising startups wouldn’t be penalized for winning government grants.
—Rayana Marker, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024
Nearly 90 percent favor some version of Taiwan’s current ambiguous status quo: self-ruling, separate from China, but short of full formal independence.
—Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Despite the drop in lower-income households spending at Darden’s chain restaurants, the mix of income types dining out is actually somewhat of a return to status quo.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
This avenue for change has been available since 1991 but never used, suggesting that countries would rather uphold the Antarctic status quo than gamble their stake.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
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
Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Fortunately, Black women are working hard to change this status quo and increase diversity within the field.
—Essence, 14 Mar. 2024
In other words, the previous status quo ensured that promising startups wouldn’t be penalized for winning government grants.
—Rayana Marker, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024
Nearly 90 percent favor some version of Taiwan’s current ambiguous status quo: self-ruling, separate from China, but short of full formal independence.
—Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Despite the drop in lower-income households spending at Darden’s chain restaurants, the mix of income types dining out is actually somewhat of a return to status quo.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
This avenue for change has been available since 1991 but never used, suggesting that countries would rather uphold the Antarctic status quo than gamble their stake.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
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
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Status quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/status%20quo. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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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