: 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
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026
The people that have been killed, the people that have wiped away [sic], and for what?
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign [sic] down on them.
—Garrett Downs,azhar Sukri, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2026
Thankyou [sic] for your patience, love and never ending support.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sic
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Verb
Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been calculating (sic) on social media for years now.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026
The people that have been killed, the people that have wiped away [sic], and for what?
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign [sic] down on them.
—Garrett Downs,azhar Sukri, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2026
Thankyou [sic] for your patience, love and never ending support.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sic
Cite this Entry
“Sic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sic. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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