vicarious

Adjective

WordNet 3.0

Adjective (3)

  1. experienced at secondhand“read about mountain climbing and felt vicarious excitement”
  2. occurring in an abnormal part of the body instead of the usual site involved in that function“vicarious menstruation”
  3. suffered or done by one person as a substitute for another“vicarious atonement”
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Vicarious \Vi*ca"ri*ous\ (v[-i]*k[=a]"[i^]*[u^]s), a. [L. vicarius, from vicis change, alternation, turn, the position, place, or office of one person as assumed by another; akin to Gr. e'i`kein to yield, give way, G. wechsel a change, and probably also to E. weak. See Weak, and cf. Vice, prep.]

1.Of or pertaining to a vicar, substitute, or deputy; deputed; delegated; as, vicarious power or authority. [1913 Webster]

2.Acting or suffering for another; as, a vicarious agent or officer. [1913 Webster]

The soul in the body is but a subordinate efficient, and vicarious . . . in the hands of the Almighty.— Sir M. Hale.[1913 Webster]

3.Performed,experienced, or suffered in the place of another; substituted; as, a vicarious sacrifice; vicarious punishment; vicarious pleasure. [1913 Webster + PJC]

The vicarious work of the Great Deliverer.— I. Taylor.[1913 Webster]

4.(Med.) Acting as a substitute; -- said of abnormal action which replaces a suppressed normal function; as, vicarious hemorrhage replacing menstruation. [1913 Webster]

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