quid pro quo

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 15, 2016 is: quid pro quo • \kwid-proh-KWOH\  • noun : something given or received for something else; also : a deal arranging such an exchange Examples: "PA officials say they have no evidence [the employees] engaged in a quid pro quo, in which they green-light the PA's purchase of wasteful insurance policies in return for the gifts or considerations, but rather suspect they turned a blind eye to their responsibilities." — Philip Messing, The New York Post, 26 July 2013 "On the face of it, Canada's agreement to enter into talks on an extradition treaty looks a lot like a quid pro quo for the welcome release of Kevin Garratt, the Canadian missionary imprisoned on trumped-up espionage charges." — The Toronto Star, 23 Sept. 2016 Did you know? In the early 16th century, a quid pro quo was something obtained from an apothecary. That's because when quid pro quo (New Latin for "something for something") was first used in English, it referred to the process of substituting one medicine for another—whether intentionally (and sometimes fraudulently) or accidentally. The meaning of the phrase was quickly extended, however, and within several decades it was being used for more general equivalent exchanges. These days, it often occurs in legal contexts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.