IC

¹ American  

plural

ICs

1. immediate constituent.

2. Electronics. integrated circuit.

3. intensive care.

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-ic ² American  

1. a suffix forming adjectives from other parts of speech, occurring originally in Greek and Latin loanwords (metallic; poetic; archaic; public ) and, on this model, used as an adjective-forming suffix with the particular senses “having some characteristics of” (opposed to the simple attributive use of the base noun) (balletic; sophomoric ); “in the style of” (Byronic; Miltonic ); “pertaining to a family of peoples or languages” (Finnic; Semitic; Turkic ).

2. Chemistry. a suffix, specialized in opposition to -ous, used to show the higher of two valences.

   ferric chloride.

3. a noun suffix occurring chiefly in loanwords from Greek, where such words were originally adjectival (critic; magic; music ).

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I.C. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. Jesus Christ.

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IC ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. internal-combustion

2. electronics integrated circuit

3. text messaging I see

4. (in transformational grammar) immediate constituent

5. astrology Imum Coeli: the point on the ecliptic lying directly opposite the Midheaven

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-ic ² British  

suffix

1. of, relating to, or resembling See also -ical

   allergic

   Germanic

   periodic

2. (in chemistry) indicating that an element is chemically combined in the higher of two possible valence states Compare -ous

   ferric

   stannic

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i/c ³ British  

abbreviation

1. in charge (of)

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Etymology

Origin of -ic²

Middle English -ic, -ik, from Latin -icus; in many words representing the cognate Greek -ikos (directly or through Latin ); in some words replacing -ique, from French, from Latin -icus

Origin of I.C.³

< Latin I ( ēsus ) C ( hrīstus )

Example Sentences

IC: The tragedy is still a part of the story.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

“Nexperia makes chips that are fundamental to virtually every modern vehicle,” says Nick Paul, general manager for United Kingdom–based supply chain specialist IC Blue.

From Barron's • Nov. 6, 2025

In recent years, thousands of Tibetans in India have emigrated to Western countries using the IC, which some nations accept for visa applications.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2025

IC: I was just in line for a Heaven bag.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2024

And that precisely was what affected Albert when he found himself standing on the street where the IC guards had picked him up.

From Insidekick by Bone, Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin)

Related Words

• chip
• circuitry
• microchip
• microprocessor
• silicon chip