The state in which anything is already. The phrase is also used retrospectively, as when, on a treaty of place, matters return to the status quo ante bellum or are left in statu quo ante bellum, i.e., the state (or, in the state) before the war.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). status quo. Retrieved September 25, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/status_quo/definitions/2066058 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "status quo" http://smartdefine.org/status_quo/definitions/2066058 (accessed September 25, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, status quo, Smart Define, viewed 25 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/status_quo/definitions/2066058>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "status quo" 28 May 2011. Web. 25 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/status_quo/definitions/2066058> |