: 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
Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
The search effort involving the George Washington, its carrier strike group, as well as the Australian Defence (sic) Force and Australian Border Force, concluded at 12:40 p.m. Wednesday.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
On iOS, these are Backup/Restore, Data Usage, Safari Web Advisor, System Analyzer, and Wi-Fi Adviser [sic].
—PC Magazine, 20 July 2025
Trump didn't hesitate in returning fire with threats to sic the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE − which Musk previously led − on his former adviser's companies.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sic
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
The antagonists are, after all, identical: The billionaire hedge-fund manager Daniel Loeb, for instance, who is currently leading an effort to ensure Mamdani does not win in November, was part of a group of wealthy donors who urged Adams to sic the police on protesters last year.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
The search effort involving the George Washington, its carrier strike group, as well as the Australian Defence (sic) Force and Australian Border Force, concluded at 12:40 p.m. Wednesday.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
On iOS, these are Backup/Restore, Data Usage, Safari Web Advisor, System Analyzer, and Wi-Fi Adviser [sic].
—PC Magazine, 20 July 2025
Trump didn't hesitate in returning fire with threats to sic the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE − which Musk previously led − on his former adviser's companies.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 July 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 4 Nov. 2025.
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