status

status — noun

1. a person's official or recognized place within a society, organization, or legal

1.nounB1
Definition

a person's official or recognized place within a society, organization, or legal system, especially when compared with the place of others.

Example

Liam's official status as a permanent resident was approved by the immigration office last month.

official status + legal/immigration context

The visiting scholar received the same status as a full team member.

Common collocations
  • social status
  • legal status
  • immigration status
  • high status
  • low status
  • equal status
  • change status
  • apply for status
  • status within
Synonyms
  • standing

    more abstract and less formal; often used for reputation within a community rather than official rank

  • rank

    more hierarchical and specific; used in military or organizational chains of command

  • position

    broader term; can refer to a job title or physical location, not only social standing

Grammar Patterns

status + (as/of)

status + within/in

Usage Note

Uncountable when referring to the general concept of social standing. Can be countable when specifying a particular type of legal or official position (e.g., three different visa statuses).

Common Mistakes

He has a high status in the company.
He has high status in the company.
status is usually uncountable; do not add 'a' unless specifying a particular type.

2. the degree to which other people admire, respect, or value a person, group, or t

2.nounB1
Definition

the degree to which other people admire, respect, or value a person, group, or thing when comparing it to others.

Example

A luxury watch is often seen as a high-status symbol in professional settings.

collocation: high status / status symbol

Tara's volunteer work brought her a surprising amount of status within the local charity network.

Common collocations
  • high status
  • low status
  • social status
  • status symbol
  • carry status
  • enjoy status
  • status-conscious
Synonyms
  • prestige

    stronger connotation of admiration earned through achievements or reputation

  • standing

    more neutral; refers to one's position in a community without the strong admiration implied by status

  • reputation

    focuses on what people believe about someone rather than their comparative rank in a hierarchy

Antonyms
  • obscurity

    the state of being unknown or unnoticed

Grammar Patterns

status + of

have/carry/enjoy + status

Usage Note

Frequently paired with adjectives like high, low, equal, or superior. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not refer to an official or legal position — it is about perceived worth in the eyes of others.

Common Mistakes

Buying a big house gives you statuses.
Buying a big house gives you status.
this sense is always uncountable; never add -s.

3. a short written message that someone posts through a social media platform to te

3.nounB1
Definition

a short written message that someone posts through a social media platform to tell their contacts what they are doing, thinking, or feeling at that moment.

Example

Yuki posted a funny status about her failed attempt to bake a chocolate cake.

collocation: post a status about

Haruto changed his Facebook status to show he had started a new job in Tokyo.

collocation: change/update status

Common collocations
  • post a status
  • update a status
  • change a status
  • status update
  • Facebook status
Synonyms
  • update

    broader term; can refer to any new information, not limited to social media

  • post

    more general; includes photos and links, not just text about what one is doing

Grammar Patterns

post/update + status

status + about

Usage Note

Commonly used with the verbs post, update, change, or share. Originally associated with Facebook, this sense now applies to most social media platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.).

4. the condition or situation of a person or thing at a particular point in time, e

4.nounB2
Definition

the condition or situation of a person or thing at a particular point in time, especially during a changing process such as a delivery, application, or repair.

Example

Passengers can check their flight status on the airline's website before going to the airport.

collocation: check the status of

Hassan called the hospital to ask about the status of his mother's test results.

Common collocations
  • current status
  • status of
  • check status
  • status report
  • order status
  • application status
  • flight status
Synonyms
  • state

    more general and slightly more formal; can describe physical or emotional condition

  • condition

    focuses on the quality or functioning of something (e.g., 'in good condition')

  • situation

    broader; refers to a set of circumstances rather than a specific point in a process

Grammar Patterns

status + of

check/report + status

Usage Note

This sense differs from sense 1 (POSITION OR RANK) because it describes a temporary condition rather than a fixed social or legal position. Common in business, logistics, and computing contexts (e.g., order status, application status, system status).

Word family

  • status quo
    nounC1
  • status symbol
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe where a person fits in a social or organizational hierarchy, but they differ in emphasis. Status focuses on the level of respect or official recognition someone receives — it is the broadest term and works in both legal (immigration status) and social (high-status job) contexts. Position is more concrete and often refers to a specific job title or role within an organization (e.g., 'her position as department head'). Rank is the most hierarchical and structured, typically used in military, police, or corporate ladder contexts where levels are clearly numbered or named (e.g., 'the rank of captain'). Standing is the most informal and subjective, emphasizing reputation within a community rather than an official title (e.g., 'her standing among fellow scientists was high'). If you say someone has 'high status,' you mean people look up to them. If you say someone has 'a high rank,' you mean they are at the top of a formal ladder.

status ↗position ↗rank ↗standing ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • status symbol
  • status report
  • status update
  • status quo
  • social status

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word status entered English in the late 1500s directly from Latin, where it meant 'state, condition, position, standing.' The Latin noun comes from the verb stare, meaning 'to stand.' In Roman times, status could refer to a person's legal position in society. The sense of 'prestige or high rank' developed in English during the 1800s, and the social media meaning emerged in the early 2000s with platforms like Facebook.