vicarious
Americanadjective
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performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another.
vicarious punishment.
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taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute.
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felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others.
a vicarious thrill.
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Physiology. noting or pertaining to a situation in which one organ performs part of the functions normally performed by another.
adjective
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obtained or undergone at second hand through sympathetic participation in another's experiences
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suffered, undergone, or done as the substitute for another
vicarious punishment
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delegated
vicarious authority
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taking the place of another
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pathol (of menstrual bleeding) occurring at an abnormal site See endometriosis
Other Word Forms
- nonvicarious adjective
- nonvicariousness noun
- unvicarious adjective
- unvicariousness noun
- vicariism noun
- vicariously adverb
- vicariousness noun
Etymology
Origin of vicarious
First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin vicārius “substituting,” equivalent to vic(is) (genitive) “interchange, alternation” ( vice 3 ) + -ārius -ary; -ous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The reality is that vicarious trauma is real.
From Slate • Sep. 12, 2025
Luckily, the internet is also glitching, causing a vicarious thrill when Marty quits trying to get service and throws away his phone.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025
Harrods has accepted vicarious liability for some of the claims, a legal term meaning it accepts ultimate responsibility for Al Fayed's alleged actions.
From BBC • Sep. 29, 2024
That vicarious thrill that audiences once gleaned from stories of the rich and powerful takes on different meanings in series about them today.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2024
I felt a vicarious delight just being near the excitement.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
