Sic facts for kids

Sic is a Latin word. It means "thus," "so," or "exactly as it was written." When you see [sic] in a text, it tells you that the writer copied something word-for-word from an original source. This is used even if the original had a mistake or an unusual way of saying something.

When people first used sic, it sounded like the English word "seek." Now, most people say it like the English word "sick."

What Does Sic Mean?

The word sic is placed inside square brackets and written in italic letters. It shows that a spelling, a phrase, or punctuation has been copied exactly. This is important because it lets readers know that any errors or odd parts were in the original text. The person quoting it did not make the mistake themselves.

Showing Old or Unusual Language

Sometimes, sic is used to show that an old or uncommon word or phrase was copied correctly. It means the original text truly used that specific wording.

For example, if you read a quote from the Constitution of the United States, you might see:

"The House of Representatives shall chuse [sic] their Speaker..."

Here, [sic] shows that "chuse" (which means "choose") was the original spelling used a long time ago.

Pointing Out Mistakes

More often, sic is used to highlight a mistake in the original text. This can be done to simply point out the error or sometimes to make fun of it.

For instance, a newspaper might quote something like this:

Warehouse has been around for 30 years and has 263 stores, suggesting a large fan base. The chain sums up its appeal thus: "styley [sic], confident, glamorous, edgy, clean and individual, with it's [sic] finger on the fashion pulse."

In this example, [sic] points out two errors: "styley" (which isn't a common word) and "it's" instead of "its."

Common Misunderstandings

Some people incorrectly think sic is a short form (an abbreviation) for phrases like "said in context" or "spelled in context." Even though these ideas are wrong, they still help explain why sic is used: to show something was said or spelled exactly as it was in the original source.

See also

In Spanish: Sic para niños