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Synonyms

status quo

American  
[kwoh] / kwoʊ /

noun

  1. the existing state or condition.

status quo British  
/ kwəʊ /

noun

  1. the existing state of affairs

"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
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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Creation comes naturally to both of them; playing with personal aesthetics is a means of liberating oneself from the status quo.

From Salon

A sideways stock market with muted volatility suggests investors are either content with the status quo in the broader economy or unconcerned with lingering risks.

From Barron's

"We recognise that is very painful but we are committed to delivering that change. You didn't ask me to retain the status quo."

From BBC

He suggested the status quo will likely remain, with China "comfortable with any type of political dynamic" in Kathmandu, including one with a younger profile, as long as it remains open to Beijing.

From Barron's

The latter is unacceptable, because the fiscal status quo already is unacceptable.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.