status quo

American  

[kwoh] / kwoʊ /

noun

1. the existing state or condition.

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status quo British  

/ kwəʊ /

noun

1. the existing state of affairs

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status quo Cultural  

1. The existing order of things; present customs, practices, and power relations: “People with money are often content with the status quo.” From Latin, meaning “the state in which.”

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status quo Idioms  

1. The existing condition or state of affairs, as in We don't want to admit more singers to the chorus; we like the status quo. This term, Latin for “state in which,” has been used in English since the early 1800s.

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Etymology

Origin of status quo

First recorded in 1825–35, status quo is from Latin status quō literally, “state in which”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

status quo

The court explained that the status quo on mifepristone would remain in place until the Supreme Court deals with a certiorari petition in the case or the 5th Circuit rules on Louisiana’s current appeal.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026

The MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke said the "harmful status quo" meant her mother died alone in October last year, after living with a rare blood cancer for half her life.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

"Otherwise, the status quo is maintained, the farmers remain stressed and the next generation is not interested in taking up farming."

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

“The status quo is untenable in the short term, and in the long term catastrophic, potentially,” Newsom said in a press conference last week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

In challenging the status quo, one of the arguments the two men always ran up against was “resources are limited.”

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• state of affairs
• status