status

UK: /ˈsteɪtəs/ US: /ˈsteɪtəs, ˈstætəs/ ,(stā′təs, stat′əs)

Inflections of 'status' (n): npl: statuses

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

sta•tus /ˈsteɪtəs, ˈstætəs/   n. [uncountable]

1. Sociology the position of an individual in relation to others;
   standing:
   a job of low status.
2. Sociology high position or standing;
   prestige:
   a person of some status in the community.
3. state or condition of affairs:
   What is the status of the contract negotiations?

See -stat-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

sta•tus  (stā′təs, stat′əs), n. 

1. Sociology the position of an individual in relation to another or others, esp. in regard to social or professional standing.
2. state or condition of affairs:
   Arbitration has failed to change the status of the disagreement.
3. Law the standing of a person before the law.

adj. 

4. conferring or believed to confer elevated status:
   a status car; a status job.

• Latin: the condition of standing, stature, status, equivalent. to sta- (variant stem of stāre to stand) + -tus suffix of verb, verbal action
• 1665–75

Synonyms

• 2. See state. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

status / ˈsteɪtəs/ noun ( -tuses)

1. a social or professional position, condition, or standing to which varying degrees of responsibility, privilege, and esteem are attached
2. the relative position or standing of a person or thing
3. a high position or standing; prestige: he has acquired a new status since he has been in that job
4. the legal standing or condition of a person
5. a state of affairs

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin: posture, from stāre to stand