status quo

American  

[kwoh] / kwoʊ /

noun

1. the existing state or condition.

---

status quo British  

/ kwəʊ /

noun

1. the existing state of affairs

---

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.”

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of status quo

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

Example Sentences

But more than six months after the announcement, the status quo remains undisturbed as the DNC’s Middle East Working Group proceeds at a snail’s pace.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

The status quo "has become economically unworkable and politically unacceptable", Greer said in a video statement as the global trade body's ministerial conference -- its supreme decision-making body -- kicked off in Cameroon's capital Yaounde.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Unless Newcastle generate higher income, the status quo will always be able to spend more, paying higher wages.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Without an agreement, that opened a period of status quo, where the previous CBA remained in place but either side could engage in a work stoppage.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

But the other segment seemed intent on staying put— maintaining the old status quo.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Related Words

• state of affairs
• status