Legal Definitions - sic

Sic is a Latin term, typically enclosed in brackets and often italicized (e.g., [sic]), used in quoted material to indicate that the preceding word, phrase, or passage has been reproduced exactly as it appeared in the original source, even if it contains an error, unusual phrasing, or a perceived inaccuracy. Its primary purpose is to assure the reader that any apparent mistake or oddity originated in the source document itself, rather than being an error introduced by the person quoting it.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of sic:

• Example 1: Quoting a Typographical Error in a Witness Statement

  Imagine a lawyer presenting evidence from a witness statement that contained a spelling mistake. The original statement read: "I saw the defendent leave the building." When the lawyer quotes this in court, they might present it as: "The witness clearly stated, 'I saw the defendent [sic] leave the building.'"

  This use of [sic] informs the court that the misspelling of "defendant" as "defendent" was present in the original witness statement, and the lawyer has quoted it accurately, without correcting the original error.

• Example 2: Highlighting a Grammatical Flaw in an Official Report

  Consider a researcher analyzing an old government report that contained a grammatical error. A sentence in the report stated: "The committee decided to implement their recommendations immediately." When the researcher quotes this sentence in their analysis, they might write: "The report concluded, 'The committee decided to implement their [sic] recommendations immediately.'"

  Here, [sic] signals that the grammatical error—using "their" instead of the grammatically correct "its" for the singular noun "committee"—was present in the original government report, and the researcher is not responsible for the mistake.

• Example 3: Pointing Out a Factual Inaccuracy in a Historical Document

  Suppose a historian is quoting from an antique book that contains a well-known factual error. The book states: "The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1778." When the historian includes this quote in their own work, they would write: "According to the text, 'The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1778 [sic].'"

  The inclusion of [sic] immediately alerts the reader that the original historical document incorrectly stated the year as 1778 (when it was actually 1776), and the historian has faithfully reproduced this inaccuracy from the source.