quid pro quo

Definition

Something which is understood as something else; an equivocation.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin quid prō quō (literally “something for something”).

Example Sentences

• "The misunderstanding of the word or the quid pro quo is the unintentional pun, and is related to it exactly as folly is to wit."
• "“Is it simply a wild fantasy, or a mistake on the part of the old man — some impossible quid pro quo?”"
• "His argument was formulated, not without reason, as a paradox, a quid pro quo of opposing concepts: form is declared to be content, thus its own opposite."

Related Words