what does sic mean in a quote
In a quote, sic (almost always written as [sic]) is a little editor’s
note that means “yes, this odd bit is in the original—this isn’t my mistake.”
The basic meaning
[sic]comes from Latin sic or sic erat scriptum , meaning “thus it was written” or “so, in this way.”
- It’s used to show that a spelling error, weird grammar, or strange wording is faithfully copied from the original source.
- You usually see it in brackets or parentheses right after the error:
I luv [sic] thiss song.
Why people use [sic] in quotes
Writers use [sic] to:
- Preserve accuracy
- In journalism, law, and academic writing, you must quote exactly, even if the original has mistakes.
[sic]signals, “I didn’t change this; this is how they wrote it.”
- In journalism, law, and academic writing, you must quote exactly, even if the original has mistakes.
- Avoid taking the blame
- It tells the reader that the typo or odd phrasing belongs to the original author, not to the person quoting.
- Highlight something unusual or wrong
- Sometimes it draws attention to a surprising claim or obvious error, e.g.
“The Titanic is unsinkable [sic].”
- Sometimes it draws attention to a surprising claim or obvious error, e.g.
How it looks in real examples
Common patterns:
- After a spelling mistake:
Those behind Nuremberg NZ want people like me to have 'thier [sic] day of reckoning.'
- After wrong word/grammar:
We all gon [sic] be dead in 100 years.
- After a statement that aged badly or is clearly wrong:
“The Titanic is unsinkable [sic].”
In all these, [sic] means the quoter is deliberately keeping the original
wording, warts and all.
When not to use [sic]
Editors and style guides often suggest:
- Don’t overuse
[sic]; it can look smug or like you’re mocking the original writer.
- If the mistake is minor and not important, you can:
- Quietly fix it, or
- Fix it with brackets:
Using sic make[s] the writer seem insufferably smug.
So, if you’re just quoting a casual tweet or text, you usually don’t need
[sic] after every little typo—use it only when the oddity really matters or
might confuse readers.
Quick recap
[sic]= “thus it was written” in Latin.
- It shows that a quoted error or weird phrasing is original, not added by you.
- Place it right after the error or odd phrase, in brackets or parentheses.
- Use it sparingly; too much
[sic]can feel like you’re mocking the source.
Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.