Definition Definition

vicarious - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'vicarious' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Vicarious [ prep.]
- Of or pertaining to a vicar, substitute, or deputy; deputed; delegated; as, vicarious power or authority.
- Acting of suffering for another; as, a vicarious agent or officer.
- Performed of suffered in the place of another; substituted; as, a vicarious sacrifice; vicarious punishment.
- Acting as a substitute; -- said of abnormal action which replaces a suppressed normal function; as, vicarious hemorrhage replacing menstruation.

Meaning of 'vicarious' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . vicarious [ s]
Meaning (1):
- experienced at secondhand
Example in sentence:
  • read about mountain climbing and felt vicarious excitement
Meaning (2):
- suffered or done by one person as a substitute for another
Example in sentence:
  • vicarious atonement
Meaning (3):
- occurring in an abnormal part of the body instead of the usual site involved in that function
Example in sentence:
  • vicarious menstruation

Nearby Words:

vicar vicarage vicarial vicarian vicariate vicariously vicarship vicary vice vice-regal

See 'vicarious' also in:

Dictionary.com Google Translator Wikipedia.com Merriam Webster

Related Definitions

  • Vicarious liability
    Vicarious liability is a responsibility for damage done by the driver of an automobile that is imputed to the vehicle’s owner.
  • Vicarious trial and error
    Vicarious trial and error is a behaviourist term to describe the substitution of mental trial and error for physical trial and error in animals who stop at a decision point in

Categories

Browse Dictionary