sic
UK: sɪk | US: sɪk
adv. used in brackets to indicate that an error in the original text is intentionally reproduced verbatim
vt. to urge an animal (especially a dog) to attack
The word "sic" is borrowed directly from Latin, where it means "thus" or "so." In English, it is used primarily as an adverb in quoted text to signal that an error or unusual phrasing is preserved from the original source. The verb form, meaning to incite an attack (e.g., "sic the dog"), likely evolved from the idea of commanding an animal to act ("thus!"). Its concise Latin origin gives it a formal, authoritative tone in modern usage.
The article quoted the misspelled word as "recieve [sic]."
The editor added "[sic]" to clarify the error was not their own.
He shouted, "Sic 'em!" to the guard dogs.
The manuscript contained archaic spellings, all marked with "[sic]."
She decided to sic her lawyer on the fraudulent company.