What Does Sic Mean?

Learn what does sic mean that makes interaction a lot easier for editors to redirect and note misspellings in different written contexts

Definition of sic

The sic you see in the quoted text marks a spelling or grammar error. It means that the text has been quoted verbatim, and the marked error appears in the source. Sic abbreviation means “thus” or “so” from the Latin word sic erat scriptum, “thus was it written” usually enclosed in brackets and italicized. Sic is usually found in brackets or parentheses, and it can also be italicized. 

How to use sic

Modern age with its advancement in networking has made it easier to actively participate in barely all social media platforms such as Twitter and on Facebook. Thereby, sic makes interaction a lot easier for editors to redirect and note misspellings in different written contexts and unusual grammar.
This is, therefore, a reliable source through which journalists can make use of sic to its actual potential. For instance; you pick up a newspaper source and realize a lot of misappropriation of words highlighted incorrectly or rather grammatical errors. The sic therefore denotes the errors by placing it right after the mistake has been realized.
For example;
Example 1.
They all left without letting us know were [sic] they were [sic] going.
Note: The correct sentence should’ve been:
They all left without letting us know where they were going.
Example 2.
We when[sic] for mountain hiking last week
Note: We went for mountain hiking last week.
Some more examples of sic uses:

• He couldn’t bare [sic] to see his mom undergo chemotherapy knowing fully well the trauma she has been facing with the thought she has cancer.
• We should endeavor to give equal rights to everyone cause it’s the same blood that runs through our vains [sic].
• The most difficult expect [sic] of growing up is knowing responsibility mounts up the moment you grow.  Want [sic] turns to be self-reliant, struggle for the best, and works harder to above the pairs[sic] in all domain of living [sic].
• Bed of roses is all illusion we get from the movies. Most often in live [sic], you need to take the bull by its horn and surpass all the obstacles, sea [sic] the trials as lessons, and work towards achieving those goals.

 The corrected sentences are: 

• He couldn’t bear to see his mom undergo chemotherapy knowing fully well the trauma she has been facing with the thought she has cancer.
• We should endeavor to give equal rights to everyone cause its the same blood that runs through our veins.
• The difficult aspect of growing up is knowing responsibility mounts up the moment you grow. One turns to be self-reliant, struggles for the best and works harder above their peers in all domain of life.
• Bed of roses are all illusions we get from the movies. Most often in life, you need to take the bull by the horns, surpass all the obstacles, see the trails as lessons and work towards achieving those goals.

What does sic stand for?

Sic indicates an intentional omission, incorrectly written word, unusual spelling, grammatical error, wrong phases, or meaning in a quote that has been reproduced verbatim from its original source.
Sic in a quote stands for ” sic erat scriptum” which in Latin means “Thus it had been written” thus the quote has been transformed as per what is found in its original form and free from errors. Its Latin adverb meaning says sic is used or inserted after a cited word or passage which shows the matter has been transcribed exactly as found in its source which is totally completed from erroneous and non-standard spelling and punctuations.
Sic is used to denote a misspelled word:

• I struggled with pregnancy not for people to pitty [sic] my journey but for the overwhelming joy, I stand to gain at the touch of my baby.
• The bus we boarded at the park had a fracture [sic] before arriving at our various destinations.
• Rather, unfortunately, I didn’t make it with excellent ressults[sic] as ought.

Sic is used to denote a wrong choice of word:

• The moment I saw Amanda, I immediately felt it was love at the first side[sic].
• All my life savings crumbled over plane[sic] air the moment I was robbed.
• She asked I seat [sic] by her cause she wasn’t feeling so well.
• He only noticed the break [sic] got bad the moment he took off for work.

Examples of sic in newspapers:
Amelia Gray Hamlin, daughter of actor Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin who to her Instagram on Sunday to say that she struggled with anorexia. “I went through the journey not just for attention, not for people to potty [sic] me, but to help,” she said. “I am on the east to help people, and I know it”.

What does sic mean in a sentence

Sic in a sentence is used to call attention to an error on the part of the reporter. For example;

• Branch managers have daily obligations to ensure transmit information from top management to it employed.

Obviously there is a word missing and the sentence as such should be quoted as;

• Branch managers have daily obligations to ensure [they] [sic] transmit information from top management to its employees.

Hence, this could be rectified in different procedures at a time. If an error is spotted, you can put the note [sic] in square brackets or parentheses. Or you can put the word in the bracket itself.
For instance:

• Branch managers have daily obligations to ensure [they] transmit information from top management to employees.

However, when the error is slight, leave [sic] to quietly correct the quote using the bracket.
Moreover, this error can be rectified as well by only using [sic] where you don’t change the original. Thereby, highlighting where the missing word has been omitted.
Example 1.
The branch manager has his daily obligation to ensure [sic] transmits information from top management to employees.
Example 2.
As employees in organization, our sole purpose not just for profit maximization rather maintain good customer service to be more efficient and creative, and bring in ideas for the business attain its future prospects.
Notably, some words have been omitted in the sentence as such should be quoted as;

• As employees in [sic] organization, our sole purpose[sic] not just for profit maximization rather maintain good customer service to be more efficient and creative, and bring in ideas on how the business [sic] attain its future prospects.

The error could be rectified in 2 different ways: either you highlight the missing word or you input [ sic] where the word was omitted.

• As an employee in [sic] organization, our sole purpose [sic] not just for profit maximization rather maintain good customer service, be more efficient and creative and bring in ideas on how the business [sic] attain its future prospects.
• As employees in [an] organization, our sole purpose [is] not just for profit maximization rather maintain good customer service, be more efficient and creative, and bring in ideas on how the business [can ] attain its future prospects.

What does sic mean in a quote

Sic also indicates the benefit of the doubt when sic is used either inside or outside a quote. Thereby, it turns to conflict more on when which should be used in a given sentence. It also indicates a capitalization error but not everyone agrees whether [sic] should or shouldn’t be used to highlight the mistake indicated.
For instance; ” Sorry, Oh! I got carried away by the movie,” the “i” has to be capitalized. It becomes a dilemma if, in an essay, it should be formatted,
“Sorry, Oh! i [sic] got carried away by the movie.”
In resolving this, there are 3 ways to go about the capitalization problem correctly. In such an instance, you either add [sic] after ” i ” or quote it and replace the (i) with an I.
Hence it will be; “Sorry, Oh! (I) got carried away by the movie.”

How to add context in quotation

How do you add text which provides context to a quote?
For example, consider if I were to be quoting someone as having said:
“This is unacceptable!”
If someone asks, where the whole quote, can I add any text to the quote to indicate what “this” refers to? I think I’ve seen it done with square brackets.
This [the death threats directed towards bloggers] is unacceptable!
Is this correct? If no, how can it be done?
As a writer, I hate to disagree with another writer, But the way he has used it is not quite right. When inserting or changing words in a quoted text, the insertion or changes should replace the quoted word like a seamless spot in the sentence.
[The death threats directed towards blogger] is unacceptable! and then, because the number of the subject fails to agree with the singular copula, one of those needs to be changed, either to
[The death threats directed towards bloggers are] unacceptable! or, since only a single word from the original quote is taken, this could be quoted to something like:
[A death threat directed towards a blogger] is unacceptable! that said, you are still free to make an edited comment in square brackets, but they should still flow with the sentence, either the way the sentence above is patched but still smooth or else as obviously parenthetical expression:
So a good writer will say;
This [i.e death threats against bloggers] is unacceptable!