English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com

status quo

3 antonyms and opposites of status quo, grouped by meaning.

Noun — The way things are at present, especially when contrasted with a proposed change.

Antonyms

How to Use Status Quo

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

maintain the status quo challenge the status quo status quo bias return to the status quo

Neutral to formal; very common in politics and business writing.

Etymology

From Latin status quo, 'the state in which'. It comes from the longer diplomatic formula in statu quo res erant ante bellum, 'in the state in which things were before the war', but is not simply an abbreviation of it.

Full origin of status quo →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to maintain the status quo?

It means keeping things exactly as they are and resisting change, whether by acting to preserve current arrangements or simply by doing nothing. It carries a faint implication that the current arrangement suits whoever is defending it.

What is the difference between status quo and status quo ante?

Status quo is the situation as it stands now. Status quo ante is the situation as it was before some specific event, most often a war or a dispute, and is used when parties agree to restore earlier conditions.

Is 'the status quo' redundant?

No. Although 'status quo' is a Latin phrase, in English it functions as an ordinary noun and takes the definite article. 'The status quo' is entirely standard.

People Also Searched

Nearby Words

← Back to the full definition of status quo
Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.