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status

[ stey-tuhs, stat-uhs ]
/ ˈsteɪ təs, ˈstæt əs /
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noun
the position of an individual in relation to another or others, especially in regard to social or professional standing: Women in India have a lower status than men and therefore less control over money.
high social or professional standing; prestige: The Wilsons have status in the community because of their charitable work.
state or condition of affairs: Arbitration has failed to change the status of the disagreement.
Law. the standing of a person before the law: Those students can receive the same tax breaks as citizens, regardless of their status as immigrants.
Digital Technology. a short post on a social networking website or messaging application that gives information about the user’s present situation, activities, thoughts, etc.: I changed my Facebook status from married to single.
adjective
conferring or believed to confer elevated status: a status car; a status job.
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Origin of status

First recorded in 1665–75; from Latin: “the condition of standing, stature, status,” equivalent to sta- (variant stem of stāre “to stand”) + -tus suffix of verbal action; see origin at stand

synonym study for status

3. See state.

OTHER WORDS FROM status

non·sta·tus, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use status in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for status

status
/ (ˈsteɪtəs) /

noun plural -tuses
a social or professional position, condition, or standing to which varying degrees of responsibility, privilege, and esteem are attached
the relative position or standing of a person or thing
a high position or standing; prestigehe has acquired a new status since he has been in that job
the legal standing or condition of a person
a state of affairs

Word Origin for status

C17: from Latin: posture, from stāre to stand
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 status

status

The relative position of an individual within a group, or of a group within a society.

notes for status

Though the term can refer to either high or low standing, it is often used only to imply a position of prestige.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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