vicariously

American  

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

adverb

1. through the experience of another person.

   Adventure novels transport us to strange lands, fraught with perilous situations and terrifying monsters we can vicariously vanquish.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonvicariously adverb
• unvicariously adverb

Etymology

Origin of vicariously

vicarious ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

If you’re living vicariously, stop it. Get out and live life for yourself. Vicariously means that you’re experiencing something indirectly, like when your friend's adventure feels like your own. Vicariously is the adverb form of the word vicarious, which also involves experiencing something through another person. The Latin influence is the word vicarius, which means “substitute.” If you experience something vicariously, in a sense you’re a substitute who’s getting something secondhand.

Example Sentences

Holder, whom Glover has pointed to as a mentor, is happy to live vicariously through Glover’s generation of Black astronauts.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Zubaydah alleged that London was "vicariously liable" for multiple wrongs against him, including conspiracy to injure, false imprisonment and negligence.

From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026

Now, we go on remembering vicariously, performing rituals of solemnity and sorrow to honour those who died, but the meaning of those rituals have changed over the years.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025

In the best horror stories, readers play out their own fears vicariously through those of the protagonist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025

I also liked living vicariously through her letters.

From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda