vicarious

Borrowed from Latin vicārius (“vicarious, substituted”), 17th century.

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /vɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/, /vaɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/
• (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /vaɪˈkɛɹi.əs/, /vəˈkɛɹi.əs/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛəɹi.əs

vicarious (not comparable)

1. Delegated.
2. Experienced or gained by taking in another person’s experience rather than through first-hand experience, such as through watching or reading.

   People experience vicarious pleasures through watching television.

   • 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 10, in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde:

     The pleasures which I made haste to seek in my disguise were, as I have said, undignified; I would scarce use a harder term. But in the hands of Edward Hyde, they soon began to turn toward the monstrous. When I would come back from these excursions, I was often plunged into a kind of wonder at my vicarious depravity.

   • 2025 January 6, Keir Starmer, 33:21 from the start, in Prime Minister's remarks on the NHS‎^[1], South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre, Epsom:

     These are people getting some sort of vicarious thrill from the street violence people like Tommy Robinson promote. Those that are attacking Jess Philips, who I'm proud to call colleague and a friend, are not protecting victims.

3. On behalf of others.

   The concept of vicarious atonement, that one person can atone for the sins of another, is found in many religions.

   • 1900, James Frazer, chapter 26, in The Golden Bough:

     As time went on, the cruel custom was so far mitigated that a ram was accepted as a vicarious sacrifice in room of the royal victim.

   • 1920, H. Rider Haggard, chapter III, in The Blue Curtains:

     In these, however, he had not much time to indulge, for a footman, still decked in the trappings of vicarious grief, opened the door with the most startling promptitude, and he was ushered upstairs into a small but richly furnished room.

• vicar
• vicariously

• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “vicarious”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.