Dictionary.com

vicarious

[ vahy-kair-ee-uhs, vi- ]
/ vaɪˈkɛər i əs, vɪ- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR vicarious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: vicarious punishment.
taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute.
felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others: a vicarious thrill.
Physiology. noting or pertaining to a situation in which one organ performs part of the functions normally performed by another.

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Origin of vicarious

1630–40; <Latin vicārius substituting, equivalent to vic(is) (genitive) interchange, alternation (see vice3), + -ārius-ary; see -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM vicarious

Words nearby vicarious

vicarial, vicariance, vicariant, vicariate, vicariate apostolic, vicarious, vicarious hypertrophy, vicarious menstruation, vicarly, Vicar of Bray, Vicar of Christ
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to vicarious

eventual, imagined, indirect, pretended, secondary, surrogate, sympathetic, empathetic, commissioned, delegated, deputed, substituted, substitutional

Example sentences from the Web for vicarious

British Dictionary definitions for vicarious

vicarious
/ (vɪˈkɛərɪəs, vaɪ-) /

adjective

obtained or undergone at second hand through sympathetic participation in another's experiences
suffered, undergone, or done as the substitute for anothervicarious punishment
delegatedvicarious authority
taking the place of another
pathol (of menstrual bleeding) occurring at an abnormal siteSee endometriosis

Derived forms of vicarious

vicariously, adverbvicariousness, noun

Word Origin for vicarious

C17: from Latin vicārius substituted, from vicis interchange; see vice ³, vicissitude
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for vicarious

vicarious
[ vī-kâr′ē-əs, vĭ- ]

adj.

Felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another.
Occurring in or performed by a part of the body not normally associated with a certain function.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.