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

"People are frustrated and tired of the status quo," she said, adding that "if I wasn't in politics, I wouldn't know who to vote for".

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

Tehran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, had earlier said Hormuz "will never return" to the pre-war status quo, despite both sides agreeing to set up communication lines to keep it open.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

For once, I’d bet against the status quo for monetary policy.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026

By offering online ordering, no-haggle pricing and interstate delivery for new vehicles, Carvana has disrupted the status quo, drawing curiosity and anxiety from old-school dealers fearing for their business model.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

There were restaurants and nightclubs, a lot of them foreign-owned, that served a mixed clientele, black people who hated the status quo and white people who simply thought it ridiculous.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• state of affairs
• status