quo warranto

[ kwoh waw-ran-toh, wo- ]

/ kwoʊ wɔˈræn toʊ, wɒ- /

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noun Law.

(formerly, in England) a writ calling upon a person to show by what authority he or she claims an office, franchise, or liberty.

(in England and the U.S.) a trial, hearing, or other legal proceeding initiated to determine by what authority one has an office, franchise, or liberty.

the pleading initiating such a proceeding.

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Origin of quo warranto

1250–1300; Middle English <Medieval Latin quō warrantō by what warrant

Words nearby quo warranto

quotient, quotient group, quotient ring, quotient space, quo vadis, quo warranto, Qu Qiu Bai, Quran, Qurnet es Sauda, qursh, qurush

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use quo warranto in a sentence

When the problem is already political, when the intolerable situation is the status quo?
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Defenders of the status quo claim the old rules protect consumers.
Why Do ‘Progressives’ Want to Ban Uber and AirBnB?|Adam Thierer, Christopher Koopman|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nothing,” Klein notes, “was more threatening to the education status quo in New York City than our charter school initiative.
Your Local School Doesn’t Have to Suck|Michael S. Roth|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is why “originalism” is so beloved of cultural conservatives: All it really means is “keep the status quo.”
All The Wrong Reasons to Ban Gay Unions|Jay Michaelson|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This sick status quo is a result of the rigged system of redistricting.
Hate Hyper-Partisanship? Support Redistricting Reform Now|John Avlon|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nos duo Societate tuguriolum habemus ligneum, in quo vix posit mens commouere nos possumus.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Quo modo, quibusve auxiliis aut successu, Societas missionem ill in regione consecuta sit.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
"I quite admit that; but you've always received a quid pro quo," the general snapped.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
As the actions of slander and libel have been described, only two others require notice, mandamus and quo warranto.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
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

British Dictionary definitions for quo warranto

quo warranto

/ (ˈkwəʊ wɒˈræntəʊ) /

noun

law a proceeding initiated to determine or (formerly) a writ demanding by what authority a person claims an office, franchise, or privilege

Word Origin for quo warranto

from Medieval Latin: by what warrant

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