French Conversation · Level 125
55 words
French word
sic
Pronunciation
IPA/sik/
Meaning
- adverbsic
Example
Le journaliste a cité : "Ceci est étrange [sic]".
The journalist quoted: "This is strange [sic]".
More examples
Dans la légende d'une photo, on a mis sic pour montrer que l'erreur vient du texte original.
In a photo caption, they put sic to show that the error comes from the original text.
Core concept
A small editorial marker beside a quoted word that preserves the original form, even when it looks wrong.
Common phrases
mettre sic entre parenthèses
put sic in parentheses
ajouter sic après un mot
add sic after a word
Similar words
tel quel: Indicates that something is presented exactly as it was, without alteration.
littéralement: Indicates a meaning that follows the words literally.
Definition in French
Mot latin, placé entre crochets dans une citation, pour préciser que la forme citée est exactement celle de l'original, même si elle semble fautive ou étrange.
Word origin
French sic comes directly from Latin sic, meaning "thus" or "so," and entered editorial usage as a note confirming that a quotation is reproduced exactly.
Usage tips
- In French writing, sic usually appears in square brackets inside a quotation and belongs mainly to formal editing, journalism, and scholarship.