vicarious
English
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vicarious
- /vɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/ US, UK
- /vaɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/ US, UK
- /vaɪˈkɛɹi.əs/
- /vəˈkɛɹi.əs/
Rhymes with -ɛəɹi.əs
Where it comes from
From Latin vicārius (“vicarious, substituted”) + English -ous. First attested in the 17th century. Doublet of vicar.
adjective
- Delegated.
- 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.
- On behalf of others. The concept of vicarious atonement, that one person can atone for the sins of another, is found in many religions.
Translations
Every language
adj delegated
| Français | par procuration |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | stellvertretend, anstelle von, übertragen, nachempfunden, in Vertretung |
| Русский | делегированный delegirovannyj |
adj experienced or gained by the loss or to the consequence of another
| Español | vicario, vicarial, vicariante |
|---|---|
| Français | indirect, par procuration |
| Deutsch | indirekt, übertragen, projiziert, begleitend |
| Русский | замещающий zameščajuščij |
adj on behalf of others
| Español | vicario, vicarial, vicariante |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 身代わりの migawari-no |
| Português | vicário |
| Français | par procuration |
| Deutsch | stellvertretend, Ersatz-, substituiert |
Talk about this word "vicarious." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/vicarious. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. vicarious. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/vicarious "vicarious." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/vicarious.Cite this
@misc{vicarious_2026,
title = {vicarious},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/vicarious},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}