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

A veteran lawmaker who served 12 years in Congress, Bass has attempted to torpedo Raman’s image as a foe of the status quo, pointing out she’s been on the council for nearly six years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

They defended the status quo against various liberation movements and labor coalitions, fighting to keep everything as it had always been in service of the people who most benefited from the old arrangement.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

“It can’t just be the status quo, and I think he gets that.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

If that interpretation is correct, Tehran's objective may be that any future reopening of the Strait of Hormuz reflects Iranian influence rather than a return to the pre-war status quo.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

This flow of envy and thus, of power, is, for the first time in the history of geeks, flowing in the other direction ... breaking what has been the status quo for many years.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• state of affairs
• status