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

Or why they’ve been so listless in their coverage of Trump’s threats to sic the military on the “enemy within”?

From Salon

To thwart these supposed threats, which he calls more dangerous than Russia, China or Iran, Trump suggests he’d sic the National Guard or military on them.

From Los Angeles Times

When Harris admonished former President Trump over suggestions that he’d sic the military on his political opponents, Baier aired a portion of a Trump interview that omitted his comments against “the enemy from within.”

From Salon

The military sicced on the country’s citizens to clamp down on dissent.

From Los Angeles Times

This sparked another round of GOP gaslighting, with Republicans pretending it was outrageous to think Trump — a man who literally sicced a murderous mob on the Capitol — might have violent designs.

From Salon

Related Words

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