status — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A person’s condition, position or standing relative to that of others.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   place

   Examples

   Superstition is highly correlated with economic status.

   This time, there’s no great discrepancy in status; both fiancés are part of the urban, white-collar middle class.

2. Prestige or high standing.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   The king has status in his kingdom, and the pauper has status within his immediate group of peers.

   It is no secret that the military was a bastion of racism and sexism keeping blacks and women in the housekeeping and other non-status jobs.

3. A situation or state of affairs.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   footing

   Examples

   Near-synonym: footing

   What's the status of the investigation?

   More examples (2)

   New York is known for its status as a financial center.

   If the takeover is approved, Comcast would control 20 of the top 25 cable markets, […]. Antitrust officials will need to consider Comcast's status as a monopsony (a buyer with disproportionate power), when it comes to negotiations with programmers, whose channels it pays to carry.

4. The legal condition of a person or thing.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

5. The legal condition of a person or thing. The state (of a Canadian First Nations person) of being registered under the Indian Act.

   Usage

   • Canada
   • Countable
   • Uncountable
   • usually
   • used to modify another noun

   Examples

   He is a status Indian.

6. A function of some instant messaging applications, whereby a user may post a message that appears automatically to other users, if they attempt to make contact.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   I'm just about to update my status to "busy".

   I read your status last night / You posted that someone else was holding you tight

Noun

1. the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society

   Synonyms

   position

   Broader terms

   state

   Examples

   he had the status of a minor

   the novel attained the status of a classic

   More examples (1)

   atheists do not enjoy a favorable position in American life

2. a state at a particular time

   Synonyms

   condition

   Broader terms

   state

   Examples

   a condition (or state) of disrepair

   the current status of the arms negotiations