sic

¹

or sick

[ sik ]

verb (used with object)

sicced or sicked [sikt],siccing or sicking

1. to attack (used especially in commanding a dog):

   Sic 'em!

2. to incite to attack (usually followed by on ).

sic

²

[ sik ]

adjective

, Chiefly Scot.

1. such.

sic

³

[ seek; English sik ]

adverb

, Latin.

1. so; thus: usually written parenthetically to denote that a word, phrase, passage, etc., that may appear strange or incorrect has been written intentionally or has been quoted verbatim:

   He signed his name as e. e. cummings (sic).

SIC

⁴

U.S. Government.

1. Standard Industrial Classification: a system used by the federal government to classify business activities for analytical and reporting purposes.

Sic.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. Sicilian.
2. Sicily.

sic

¹

/ sɪk /

determiner

1. a Scot word for such

sic

²

/ sɪk /

adverb

1. so or thus: inserted in brackets in a written or printed text to indicate that an odd or questionable reading is what was actually written or printed

sic

³

/ sɪk /

verb

1. to turn on or attack: used only in commands, as to a dog
2. to urge (a dog) to attack

sic

1. A Latin word for “thus,” used to indicate that an apparent error is part of quoted material and not an editorial mistake: “The learned geographer asserts that ‘the capital of the United States is Washingtown [ sic ].’”

Word History and Origins

Origin of sic¹

First recorded in 1835–45; variant of seek

Origin of sic²

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English (north and Scots); such

Origin of sic³

First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin sīc

Word History and Origins

Origin of sic¹

Latin

Origin of sic²

C19: dialect variant of seek

Example Sentences

Leapolitan responded by saying, “hopefully youll [sic] bite into a poison apple.”

From The Daily Beast

“The institution of marraige [sic] is under attack in our society and it needs to be strengthened,” Bush wrote.

From The Daily Beast

They mention that a former cia agent and someone who used to work for Hilary [sic] Clinton looked at the script.

From The Daily Beast

Then Pascal responds (in all caps) with, “BUT WE DIDNT WIN A D [sic] YOU KNOW HIM.”

From The Daily Beast

“Bare [sic] with me on vlogmas,” she told her fans in a Tweet.

From The Daily Beast

Title—And next folowyng begynnith an amerowse compleynte made at wyndesore in the laste May tofore Novembre (sic).

From Project Gutenberg

Mists or hoar frosts on the tenth of March betokens (sic) a plentiful year, but not without some diseases.

From Project Gutenberg

Sic utere tuo ut alienum non la is not merely a legal maxim, but it is a grand doctrine of life.

From Project Gutenberg

Efter hearin' him, it fair knocked the stories on the heid aboot him bein' oot to smash the hame, an' religion an' sic like.

From Project Gutenberg

Dammit, hae ye nae common sense, swearin' an' jokin' about sic a thing!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• actually
• completely
• directly
• plainly
• precisely
• really
• simply
• truly