: 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
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
But trying to sic the Department of Homeland Security on him sounds like a move that would be in this administration’s playbook.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
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
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 president won't be able to sic the military on civilians without nationwide pushback.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
But trying to sic the Department of Homeland Security on him sounds like a move that would be in this administration’s playbook.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sic
Cite this Entry
“Sic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sic. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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