Word of the Day

: August 2, 2011

sic

adverb SIK

What It Means

: intentionally so written -- used after a printed word or passage to indicate that it exactly reproduces an original

sic in Context

His letter said the people were “very freindly [sic] to me.”

"A subsequent memo … concluded that the 'doctors will submit one invoice which will include the special payments formally [sic] being made to their spouses along with there [sic] normal consulting services fee.'" -- From an article by James B. Stewart in The New York Times, June 25, 2011

Did You Know?

The adverb "sic," usually enclosed in brackets, is a word editors use in the reproduction of someone else's speech or writing to indicate that an unexpected form exactly reproduces the original and is not a copier's mistake. "Sic" comes from Latin, in which it means "so" or "thus." Though it's a useful tool, some usage commentators feel it is bad manners to use a "sic" to needlessly call attention to someone's error or to deride the language of a less-educated person.