What Does ‘Sic’ Mean? How to Use ‘Sic’ Properly

The definition of “sic,” when referring to quoted text, is “intentionally so written.” When used after the quoted material, “sic” indicates that the words preceding it are an exact transcription from the original source, including any spelling mistakes, non-standard spelling, or grammatical errors.

“Sic” (pronounced “sik”) is a Latin word, and specifically, a Latin adverb, which means “thus” or “so.” It abbreviates a longer Latin phrase, “sic erat scriptum,” which means, “thus had it been written.” The first use of the Latin “sic” as an adverb to indicate intentional misspelling and grammar errors in the English language was in the late 1850s.

There are two other meanings for the word “sic.” Scottish speakers use “sic” as an alternative for the word “such.” It can also mean “to attack” or “to encourage to attack,” as in the phrase “sic ‘em.”

“Sic” has several backronyms, which are acronyms coined to fit an existing word, including: “spelled incorrectly,” “said in context,” “spelling is correct,” and “said in copy.”

There are several ways to use the word “sic properly”:

• Conventional: Place “sic” in square brackets or parentheses when it follows an original, verbatim quote with a spelling error or grammar errors to indicate that you did not make a typo in transcription: for example, [sic]. It does not need a period since it is not an abbreviation, though some style guides suggest its use at the end of a complete sentence. Some style guides also suggest that it requires italics.
• Dialect and spelling: Use “sic” to indicate a word written in a dialect or spelling in a manner that is out of date. Many style guides caution its use for these reasons, especially regarding words that have different spellings in American English and British English, such as “color” and “colour.”
• Irony and ridicule: Some writers use “sic” to underscore irony in the original quote that may not be immediately identifiable or to poke fun at the original writer for perceived naïveté or wrong-headedness. This use of “sic” is similar to the use of “scare quotes,” which are quotation marks around a word that impart irony or disagreement.

Writers and editors use “sic” to call attention to a typo or grammatical error, and some may perceive it as an unnecessary callout. For a more tactful approach, there are several alternatives that you can use in place of “sic” when proofreading:

1. 1. Paraphrase: You can paraphrase source material that contains a typo or misspelled word instead of using “sic.” However, you must properly credit the source material.
2. 2. Recte: “Recte” is a Latin word meaning “rightly” that is also a useful substitute for “sic.” Place “recte” inside square brackets and follow it with the correct word or phrase. For example, “She ran down the driveway towurd [recte toward] the ice cream truck parked at the curb.”
3. 3. Replace: You can also replace any misspelled words or incorrectly phrased statements with simple copy editing. In this case, placing the correct word in square brackets is an option. For example, “She ran [toward] the ice cream truck parked at the curb.”

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