quid pro quo

[ kwidproh kwoh ]
See synonyms for quid pro quo on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural quid pro quos, quids pro quo.
  1. something that is given or taken in return for something else.

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Origin of quid pro quo

1
First recorded in 1555–65; Latin quid prō quō, literally, “what for what, something for something”; see pro1, quiddity, status quo

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British Dictionary definitions for quid pro quo

quid pro quo

/ (ˈkwɪd prəʊ ˈkwəʊ) /


nounplural quid pro quos
  1. a reciprocal exchange

  2. something given in compensation, esp an advantage or object given in exchange for another

Origin of quid pro quo

1
C16: from Latin: something for something

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

Cultural definitions for quid pro quo

quid pro quo

[ (kwid proh kwoh) ]


A fair exchange; the phrase is most frequently used in diplomacy: “The Chinese may make some concessions on trade, but they will no doubt demand a quid pro quo, so we must be prepared to make concessions too.” From Latin, meaning “something for something.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with quid pro quo

quid pro quo

An equal exchange or substitution, as in I think it should be quid pro quo—you mow the lawn and I'll take you to the movies. This Latin expression, meaning “something for something,” has been used in English since the late 1500s.

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