vicarious
[ vahy-kair-ee-uhs, vi- ]
/ vaɪˈkɛər i əs, vɪ- /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZ
SPRINT TO THE FINISH WITH THIS OLYMPICS QUIZ!
Compete in our Olympics quiz to see if you can take home the gold medal in Olympics knowledge.
Question 1 of 10
Where was the Olympics first held?
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Origin of vicarious
OTHER WORDS FROM vicarious
Words nearby vicarious
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use vicarious in a sentence
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
Derived forms of vicarious
vicariously, adverbvicariousness, nounWord 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.