: intentionally so written
—used after a printed word or passage to indicate that it is intended exactly as printed or to indicate that it exactly reproduces an original
said he seed [sic] it all
variants
or less commonly sick
sicced also sicked
ˈsikt 
; siccing also sicking
; siccing also sicking
2
: to incite or urge to an attack, pursuit, or harassment : set
sicced their lawyers on me
Did you know?
The adverb sic, usually enclosed in brackets, is a word editors use in the reproduction of someone else's speech or writing to indicate that an unexpected form exactly reproduces the original and is not a copier's mistake. Sic comes from Latin, in which it means "so" or "thus." Though it's a useful tool, some usage commentators feel it is bad manners to use a sic to needlessly call attention to someone's error or to deride the language of a less-educated person.
Examples of sic in a Sentence
Verb
commanded the attack dogs to "sic 'em"
Recent Examples on the Web
Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 9 June 2025
Interestingly, Mr Hegseth, Director Gabbard, and Mr Walz [sic] are all former US Army Officers and should have known better.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
During the holocaust [sic] our grandparents would have been delighted if people in the free world had stood up for them.
—Ben Sales, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025
The truth needs to come out more [sic] matter who is responsible.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
There are make [sic] around 700 of them left because the Palestinians have genocided them.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 9 June 2025
Interestingly, Mr Hegseth, Director Gabbard, and Mr Walz [sic] are all former US Army Officers and should have known better.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
During the holocaust [sic] our grandparents would have been delighted if people in the free world had stood up for them.
—Ben Sales, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025
The truth needs to come out more [sic] matter who is responsible.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sic
Cite this Entry
“Sic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sic. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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