vicarious

American  

[vahy-kair-ee-uhs, vi-] / vaɪˈkɛər i əs, vɪ- /

adjective

1. performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another.

   vicarious punishment.

2. taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute.

3. felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others.

   a vicarious thrill.

4. Physiology. noting or pertaining to a situation in which one organ performs part of the functions normally performed by another.

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vicarious British  

/ vɪˈkɛərɪəs, vaɪ- /

adjective

1. obtained or undergone at second hand through sympathetic participation in another's experiences

2. suffered, undergone, or done as the substitute for another

   vicarious punishment

3. delegated

   vicarious authority

4. taking the place of another

5. pathol (of menstrual bleeding) occurring at an abnormal site See endometriosis

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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” ( see vice ³) + -ārius -ary; see -ous

Explanation

If something is vicarious, it delivers a feeling or experience from someone else. If your child becomes a big star, you might have a vicarious experience of celebrity. Vicarious comes from the Latin word vicarius, which means "substitute." If you have vicarious enjoyment, you have a second-hand thrill. You might get vicarious thrills of adventure by reading your friend's letters from overseas. If you're mad at your cat but you take it out on your dog, that's vicarious punishment. Vicarious can also be used as a medical term meaning "occurring in an unexpected part of the body."

Example Sentences

And others prefer to spend their vicarious leisure time amid freezing winds, frigid water, 40-foot waves and ice floes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

There’s a vicarious sort of pleasure in watching somebody do something that you as a viewer think, “I’m way too smart for.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

A jury eventually found Cox liable under two theories, vicarious and contributory liability.

From Slate • Nov. 28, 2025

Television is a vehicle built for vicarious experiences, a medium fueled by feeling and thus prone to engaging in manipulation.

From Salon • May 26, 2025

It was probably just peaceful despair and relief at final and complete abnegation, now that Judith was about to immolate the frustration’s vicarious recompense into the living fairy tale.

From "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner