Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sic

/sɪk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.62 in modern English

Syllables: sic
IPA: /sɪk/

5

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

Thus; as written; used to indicate, for example, that text is being quoted as it is from the source.

adv

Used in the manner of scare quotes

verb

To mark with a bracketed sic.

verb

To incite an attack by, especially a dog or dogs.

Transitive verb

verb

To set upon; to chase; to attack.

Transitive verb

noun

Initialism of second-in-command.

noun

Initialism of School Improvement Council.

Example Sentences

"When it is all over they merge and go in a body to visit [...] the Telegraph Office – with plausible expressions of regret and excuses for the mob ‘which’ they say ‘is deplorably ignorant and will not be restrained when its feelings are strongly moved’ – sic, the fact being that the mob’s feelings will never be ‘moved’ unless it is by one of them."
"Bolinger, Dwight (1977) ‘Pronoun and repeated nouns.’ Lingua18:1-34 [Quoted sic in Toolan 1990. Neither in Lingua 18, nor in the 1977 volume of that journal.]"
"Joseph Wright, his predecessor in the chair, called him ‘a firstrate Scholar and a kind of man who will easily make friends’ at Oxford (quoted, sic, in E.M. Wright, The Life of Joseph Wright (1932), p. 483)."
"Jim’s Interests: General: Working out, hanging out at the local bars, expanding my mind, eating Tuna Sandwhiches...or so I’m told and poker... Television: ... this show that’s on Thuresday nights at 8 :30pm... I can’t place the name of it but it has this crazy interview style thing...[all sic]"
"whole bussiness: Quoted sic in George F. Willison, Saints and Strangers (New York: Reynal and Hitchcock, 1945)"
"In the posting, Matthews said he wished that, “more blacks [sic] people would look into ancient beliefs of pre Christian Africa.”"

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sīc (“thus, so”).

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

sics (present, singular) siccing (participle, present) sicced (participle, past) sicced (past) sicc (alternative) sick (alternative) SICs (plural)

Phrases

sic pro sic passim sic transit gloria mundi sic semper tyrannis sic bo

Frequently Paired Words

sic pro sic passim sic transit gloria mundi sic semper tyrannis sic bo

Synonyms

set

Homonyms

sick Sikh (one pronunciation)

Rhymes With

pick quick sick click stick kick dick non-stick nick trick thick rick

Questions

How do you pronounce sic?: The recorded pronunciation is /sɪk/.
What does sic mean?: Thus; as written; used to indicate, for example, that text is being quoted as it is from the source.
Where does sic come from?: Learned borrowing from Latin sīc (“thus, so”).

How to pronounce sic

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sic”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/sɪk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “sic”.
Repeat and practice — Say “sic” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.