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Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present, current, existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they currently are. The related phrase status quo ante, means "the state of things as it was before."

In 19th-century diplomatic Latin, the original sentence was in statu quo res erant ante bellum "in the state in which things were before the war". This gave rise to the shorter form status quo ante bellum "the state in which (it was) before the war", indicating the withdrawal of enemy troops and restoration of power to prewar leadership, as well as other variations, such as status quo itself.

Arguing to preserve the status quo is usually done in the context of opposing a large, often radical change. The term frequently refers to the status of a large issue, such as the current culture or social climate of an entire society or nation. Status quo can also refer to the social status in the workplace or peer group school.

Politicians sometimes refer to a status quo. Often there is a policy of deliberate ambiguity, referring to the status quo rather than formalizing the status. An example of political ambiguity is the political status of Taiwan. Clark Kerr is reported to have said, "The status quo is the only solution that cannot be vetoed," meaning that the status quo cannot simply be decided against; action must be taken if it is to change.

Sometimes specific institutions are founded to actively maintain the status quo. The United Nations, for example, was intended to help solidify the peaceful international status quo that immediately followed World War II.

In non-episodic entertainment, particularly United States TV sitcoms, the "status quo" is nearly always restored at the end of an episode, giving each episode an effectively self-contained plot or story. This assures that the following episode may begin from the same starting point, eliminating the need for the viewer to have knowledge of prior plot elements or to experience particular episodes in the correct order. This has been an essential rule of nearly all non-episodic TV shows since their inception, with all drastic changes usually happening in the premiere or finale of a given season, allowing the creative team to set up a "new" status quo. In recent years, however, this rule has softened, as even many sitcoms have started to develop stories and deepen character relationships over the course of a season.

In Israel, the term refers to an informal agreement conducted in 1947 between the secular leadership of the Zionist movement in Palestine and leaders of the religious Jews, which created a framework for the establishment of the country. This agreement lays out ground rules for the relationship between state and religion in four major issues: Shabbat, education, Kashrut, and matrimonial law. It has been more or less maintained throughout the country's existence. It might also refer to the arrangement formalized in 1852 for the division of custodianship among a number of Christian communities for various important Christian holy sites of the Holy Land.

Laurence J. Peter is reported to have said, "Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status."

Peter Senge (1999) "...collaboration is vital to sustain what we call profound or really deep change, because without it, organizations are just overwhelmed by the forces of the status quo."

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