ICS

¹ American  

1. International College of Surgeons.

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-ics ² American  

1. a suffix of nouns that denote a body of facts, knowledge, principles, etc., usually corresponding to adjectives ending in -ic or -ical: ethics; physics; politics; tactics .

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-ics ¹ British  

suffix

1. indicating a science, art, or matters relating to a particular subject

   aeronautics

   politics

2. indicating certain activities or practices

   acrobatics

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ICS ² British  

abbreviation

1. Indian Civil Service

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Grammar

Nouns ending in -ics that name fields of study, sciences, arts, professions, or the like are usually not preceded by an article and are used with a singular verb: Acoustics (the science) deals with sound. Politics (the art of government) fascinates me. In certain uses, often when preceded by a determiner like the, his, her, or their, most of these nouns can take a plural verb: The acoustics (the sound-reflecting qualities) of the hall are splendid. Their politics (political opinions) have antagonized everyone.

Etymology

Origin of -ics

Plural of -ic, representing Latin -ica (< Greek -ika, neuter plural of -ikos ), as in rhētórica (plural) rhetoric book

Example Sentences

The professors found that a 1-percentage-point increase in January’s ICS is correlated with a 2.4% higher stock-market return over the subsequent 11 months.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 3, 2026

"We believe that our official Anthropocene Working Group has been disbanded by ICS, though again they have not felt it of importance to notify us of this."

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2024

"We recognise the strain the NHS and other care providers are under and proactively work with customers to support strategic, longer-term workforce provision," ICS said.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2023

With an “event,” Ellis says, the ICS can still acknowledge the significant impact that humanity is making on Earth.

From Science Magazine • May 5, 2022

You can view the ICS time scale at http://www.stratigraphy.org/index.php/ics-chart-timescale.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015