quid pro quo

[ kwidproh kwoh ]

See synonyms for quid pro quo on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural quid pro quos, quids pro quo.

something that is given or taken in return for something else.

Origin of quid pro quo

First recorded in 1555–65; Latin quid prō quō, literally, “what for what, something for something”; see pro¹, quiddity, status quo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use quid pro quo in a sentence

“The U.S. is going to want to keep these as separate issues and not link them formally with a quid pro quo,” he said.
Will Iran Sell Out Al Qaeda for Nukes? | Josh Rogin, Eli Lake | September 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Court has upheld limits on individual contributions to avoid quid pro quo corruption or the “appearance of corruption.”
Originalists Making It Up Again: McCutcheon and ‘Corruption’ | Lawrence Lessig | April 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Budapest document makes sense historically only as a quid pro quo agreement resting upon American credibility to act.
Obama Must Show He’ll Use Military Means to Deter Russia in Ukraine | Leslie H. Gelb | March 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Supreme Court only accepts one justification for limiting political speech: quid pro quo corruption or the appearance thereof.
SCOTUS-Palooza: Preview of the Big Cases in the New Term | Ilya Shapiro | October 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Fully 29 examples—almost five times the number of “quid pro quo” examples—were cases of “improper dependence.”
The Court Case That Pivots on What ‘Corrupt’ Really Means | Lawrence Lessig | September 26, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

"I quite admit that; but you've always received a quid pro quo," the general snapped.
The Doctor of Pimlico | William Le Queux
This quid pro quo went on for some five minutes before I discovered that here the secret police service is called "the railway."
The Nabob | Alphonse Daudet
He had bestowed himself without receiving the due quid pro quo.
A Charming Fellow, Volume II (of 3) | Frances Eleanor Trollope
As many symptoms are common to several diseases, I took not infrequently quid pro quo.
Solomon Maimon: An Autobiography. | Solomon Maimon
The ''cute trick' upon the honest farmer was capital, and a fair quid pro quo.
The Knickerbocker, Vol. 22, No. 5, November 1843 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for quid pro quo

quid pro quo

/ (ˈkwɪd prəʊ ˈkwəʊ) /

nounplural quid pro quos

a reciprocal exchange
something given in compensation, esp an advantage or object given in exchange for another

Origin of quid pro quo

C16: from Latin: something for something

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for quid pro quo

quid pro quo

[ (kwid proh kwoh) ]

A fair exchange; the phrase is most frequently used in diplomacy: “The Chinese may make some concessions on trade, but they will no doubt demand a quid pro quo, so we must be prepared to make concessions too.” From Latin, meaning “something for something.”

Other Idioms and Phrases with quid pro quo

quid pro quo

An equal exchange or substitution, as in I think it should be quid pro quo—you mow the lawn and I'll take you to the movies. This Latin expression, meaning “something for something,” has been used in English since the late 1500s.

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