vicar
Americannoun
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Church of England.
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a person acting as priest of a parish in place of the rector, or as representative of a religious community to which tithes belong.
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the priest of a parish in which tithes were formerly transferred to a religious house, chapter, or layperson, the priest receiving only the smaller tithes or a salary.
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Protestant Episcopal Church.
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a member of the clergy whose sole or chief charge is a chapel dependent on the church of a parish.
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a bishop's assistant in charge of a church or mission.
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Roman Catholic Church. an ecclesiastic representing the pope or a bishop.
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a person who acts in place of another; substitute.
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a person who is authorized to perform the functions of another; deputy.
God's vicar on earth.
noun
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Church of England
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(in Britain) a clergyman appointed to act as priest of a parish from which, formerly, he did not receive tithes but a stipend
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a clergyman who acts as assistant to or substitute for the rector of a parish at Communion
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(in the US) a clergyman in charge of a chapel
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RC Church a bishop or priest representing the pope or the ordinary of a diocese and exercising a limited jurisdiction
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Also called: lay vicar. vicar choral. Church of England a member of a cathedral choir appointed to sing certain parts of the services
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a person appointed to do the work of another
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of vicar
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French vicare, vicaire, vikere, from Old French vicaire, from Latin vicārius “a substitute, deputy,” noun use of adjective; see origin at vicarious
Explanation
A vicar is a member of the clergy who is not high-ranking but is still considered a holy representative of the church. Vicars are set slightly below the official head of a congregation or parish, sometimes acting as an agent or substitute clergyman. Originally considered an earthly go-between for man and God, the meaning of the word moved diminished as the vicar became sort of a "deputy" priest or parson. You can find a vicar in the Church of England, and also in the Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches. Consider that "vicarious" means something taking another's place — that's what a vicar does.
Vocabulary lists containing vicar
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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The Taming of the Shrew
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Black Beauty
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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.
See Examples For:
The men behind the new law included Francis Orpen Morris, a naturalist who was rector of Nunburnholme, and Henry Barnes-Lawrence, the vicar of Bridlington, as historian David Neave explains.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026
As Bishop Sheen said to Milton Berle, the vicar of Rome has better writers and a better sponsor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
As Bishop Sheen said to Milton Berle, the vicar of Rome has better writers and a better sponsor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
“Why hit the first time? OK, why hit again?” said Father Antonius Eid-Farah, the vicar of St. George Parish and aide to Al-Rahi.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026
Facing the altar, framed by the elevated white-sheeted shape of the vicar, stood the couple.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Many vicars, bishops, and archbishops are known to have personally managed investments in plantations, and in the South Sea Company, sometimes paying for renovations to churches and cathedrals.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Before Alphy, past seasons featured arcs about its citizens and vicars confronting bigotry.
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026
Its inhabitants are those of “there will always be an England” England: stern vicars, timid curates, lords and earls, penniless titled wastrels living on allowances from their uncles, imperious aunts, upper-crust twits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2025
One 99-year-old congregant praised the couple, two female vicars, for breathing new life into the church.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
He was friendly with the vicar, and over the years counted a number of vicars as his close friends.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
