'Vicarious' definitions:
Definition of 'vicarious'
(from WordNet)
adjective
Experienced at secondhand; "read about mountain climbing and felt vicarious excitement"
adjective
Occurring in an abnormal part of the body instead of the usual site involved in that function; "vicarious menstruation"
adjective
Suffered or done by one person as a substitute for another; "vicarious atonement"
Definition of 'Vicarious'
From: 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]
Synonyms of 'vicarious'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- alternate,
- alternative,
- assigned,
- backup,
- commissioned,
- counterfeit,
- delegated,
- dummy,
- equivalent,
- ersatz,
- fake,
- imitation,
- indirect,
- makeshift,
- mock,
- phony,
- pinch,
- provisional,
- proxy,
- reserve,
- secondary,
- spare,
- stopgap,
- substitute,
- substituted,
- surrogate,
- temporary,
- tentative,
- token,
- utility