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definitions

sic

1

or sick

[sik]
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verb (used with object), sicced or sicked [sikt] /sɪkt/, sic·cing or sick·ing.

to attack (used especially in commanding a dog): Sic 'em!
to incite to attack (usually followed by on).

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Quoting Accurately with SicSic indicates that the word or phrase it follows has been written or spelled in the same way it originally was, even though it appears to be a mistake. Writers often use sic (which comes into English from the Latin word for so or thus) when they’re quoting material from another source. The use of sic lets the writer off the hook for any spelling …
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juxeraRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
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RELATED WORDS

precisely, plainly, actually, completely, simply, directly, truly, really, then, very, well, thus, quite, too, indeed, apparently, therefore, prompt, propel, motivate

Nearby words

  1. sibyl,
  2. sibylla,
  3. sibyllic,
  4. sibylline,
  5. sibylline books,
  6. sic passim,
  7. sic semper tyrannis,
  8. sic transit gloria mundi,
  9. sic.,
  10. sica

Origin of sic

1
First recorded in 1835–45; variant of seek

sic

2
[sik]

adjective Chiefly Scot.

such.

Origin of sic

2
1325–75; Middle English (north and Scots); see such

sic

3
[seek; English sik]

adverb Latin.

so; thus: usually written parenthetically to denote that a word, phrase, passage, etc., that may appear strange or incorrect has been written intentionally or has been quoted verbatim: He signed his name as e. e. cummings (sic).
Can be confusedsic sick

SIC

U.S. Government.

Standard Industrial Classification: a system used by the federal government to classify business activities for analytical and reporting purposes.

Sic.

Sicilian.
Sicily.

rebus sic stantibus

[ree-buh s sik stan-tuh-buh s]

adverb International Law.

(of the duration of the binding force treaty) for as long as the relevant facts and circumstances remain basically the same.

Origin of rebus sic stantibus

First recorded in 1840–50, rebus sic stantibus is from the Latin word rēbus sīc stantibus with things remaining thus

sic passim

[seek pahs-sim; English sik pas-im]

adverb Latin.

so throughout: used especially as a footnote to indicate that a word, phrase, or idea recurs throughout the book being cited.

sic semper tyrannis

[seek sem-per ty-rahn-nis; English sik sem-per ti-ran-is]

Latin.

thus always to tyrants: motto of Virginia.

sic transit gloria mundi

[seek trahn-sit gloh-ri-ah moo n-dee; English sik tran-sit glawr-ee-uh muhn-dahy, -dee, glohr-, -zit]

Latin.

thus passes away the glory of this world.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sic

British Dictionary definitions for sic

sic

1

adverb

so or thus: inserted in brackets in a written or printed text to indicate that an odd or questionable reading is what was actually written or printed

Word Origin for sic

Latin

verb sics, sicking or sicked (tr)

to turn on or attack: used only in commands, as to a dog
to urge (a dog) to attack

Word Origin for sic

C19: dialect variant of seek

determiner, adverb

a Scot word for such

sic passim

a phrase used in printed works to indicate that a word, spelling, etc, occurs in the same form throughout

Word Origin for sic passim

literally: thus everywhere

sic transit gloria mundi

thus passes the glory of the world
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for sic
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for sic

sic

A Latin word for “thus,” used to indicate that an apparent error is part of quoted material and not an editorial mistake: “The learned geographer asserts that ‘the capital of the United States is Washingtown [sic].’”

Sic transit gloria mundi

[(sik tran-sit glawr-ee-uh moon-dee)]

Latin for “Thus passes away the glory of the world”; worldly things do not last.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with sic

sic transit gloria mundi

Nothing on earth is permanent, as in His first three novels were bestsellers and now he can't even find an agent—sic transit gloria mundi. This expression, Latin for “Thus passes the glory of the world,” has been used in English since about 1600, and is familiar enough so that it is sometimes abbreviated to sic transit.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.