If you've ever read a formal document or legal brief and spotted the word [sic] tucked inside a quotation, you may have wondered what it signals and whether you're supposed to read it differently. Knowing what sic means and how to use it is a small but genuinely useful skill for anyone quoting sources in business writing, journalism, or academic work.
What sic actually means
Sic is a Latin adverb meaning "thus" or "so." In English usage, it tells the reader: this is exactly what the original source said. Writers insert it immediately after a word or phrase that looks wrong, odd, or surprising, to signal that the error (or unusual phrasing) belongs to the original author, not to them.
Without sic, a reader might assume you misquoted, mistyped, or failed to proofread. With it, the message is clear: the original really did say that. The mark is a small act of transparency.
It's almost always written in italics and enclosed in square brackets: [sic]. The brackets indicate an editorial insertion, and the italics follow standard practice for Latin terms in English text. Some older style guides show it without brackets, but square brackets are now the dominant convention in business and editorial writing.
When to use [sic]
Use [sic] when you're quoting a source verbatim and the quoted text contains an error, an archaic spelling, a factual mistake, or an unusual usage that a reader might otherwise attribute to you.
Common situations include:
- A spelling or grammatical error in an original document you're quoting
- A factual inaccuracy in the quoted text (e.g., the source names the wrong year)
- A non-standard or archaic spelling that might look like a typo
- Dialect, slang, or unconventional capitalisation that appears in the original
For example: The contract stated that "the payment is do [sic] on the first of the month." Here, [sic] tells the reader that "do" is the original word, not a typo introduced by you.
Where exactly to place it
Place [sic] immediately after the word or phrase it refers to, inside the closing quotation mark if it falls at the end of the quote, or directly after the problematic word if it falls mid-sentence. Don't move it to a footnote or push it to the end when the error appears at the beginning. Proximity matters. The reader needs to see the flag right next to the problem.
Mid-quote placement looks like this: The memo read, "All employee's [sic] must submit timesheets by Friday." The [sic] sits right after the misused apostrophe, pointing at it without interrupting the rest of the sentence.
When not to use it
Restraint is the right instinct here. Sic can read as condescending if you use it to highlight every minor stylistic difference between the source's choices and your own preferences. It's not a tool for mocking or editorialising. If a source uses British spellings ("colour," "organisation") and you're writing for an American audience, you don't need [sic]. Those spellings aren't errors; they're regional conventions.
Similarly, don't insert [sic] after every instance of an older spelling in a historical document. One notation at the start of the quotation, or a brief explanatory note, serves the reader better than littering a passage with Latin markers. The goal is clarity, not point-scoring.
For everyday business emails, you'll rarely need it. Sic belongs in formal quotations: legal documents, academic papers, press releases quoting official statements, and editorial copy that reproduces source material verbatim. Understanding what "re" means in emails and letters is a similar kind of small editorial knowledge that makes professional writing more precise.
Formatting checklist
Getting the format right is straightforward once you know the three conventions:
- Always use square brackets: [sic], not (sic) or sic alone
- Italicise the word: [sic], consistent with standard treatment of Latin terms
- Place it immediately after the error, not at the end of the sentence unless the error is the last word
The Chicago Manual of Style specifies square brackets and italics, and most major publishers follow that convention. AP style is broadly consistent with this approach for editorial contexts.
A note on overuse and alternatives
If a source text contains so many errors that [sic] would appear every few words, consider paraphrasing instead. Direct quotation isn't always necessary. You can summarise the source's meaning in your own words and avoid the distraction of repeated notations. That's often the cleaner professional choice.
Another option: correct the error silently and note in a footnote or parenthetical that the original text has been lightly edited for clarity. This works well in reports or internal documents where strict verbatim quotation isn't a legal or editorial requirement. Getting these small decisions right is part of writing stronger executive summaries and formal documents generally, where sourced material often appears.
One thing [sic] cannot do is change what someone said. It signals the error without correcting it. If you're preparing a document for a court, a regulator, or a publication, preserving the exact words of a source, errors and all, and flagging them with [sic], is often the honest and professionally required approach. It's a mark of accuracy, not carelessness.