status quo

noun

: the existing state of affairs
seeks to preserve the status quo

Examples of status quo in a Sentence

He is content with the status quo and does not like change. civic leaders who are afraid to do anything that might change the town's status quo
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But if this upending of the portable-display status quo is any indication, the days of these monitors being defined by panels that simply mimic a companion laptop screen are over. John Burek, PC Magazine, 18 May 2025 Teachers unions and big-city bureaucracies fight tooth and nail to maintain the failing status quo, even as generations of students are left behind. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025 The film premiered at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and delves into the conflict between a visionary artist seeking a utopian future and those entrenched in a regressive status quo, driven by greed, special interests and partisan conflict. Justin Kroll, Deadline, 5 May 2025 Friends and extended family may choose sides, drift away or need time to adjust to the new status quo. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for status quo

Word History

Etymology

Latin, state in which

First Known Use

1719, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of status quo was in 1719

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Status quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/status%20quo. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

status quo

noun
sta·​tus quo
ˌstāt-ə-ˈskwō,
ˌstat-
: the way things are now
chose to keep the status quo rather than make changes

Legal Definition

status quo

noun
: the existing state of affairs
specifically : the last actual and uncontested state of affairs that preceded a controversy and that is to be preserved by preliminary injunction compare status quo ante
Etymology

Latin, state in which

More from Merriam-Webster on status quo

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