vicarious

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *weyk-der. Latin vicis Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzijos Latin -ārius Latin vicāriusbor. Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ōtsos or *-otsos Latin -ōsus Old French -usbor. Middle English -ous English -ous English vicarious From Latin vicārius (“vicarious, substituted”) + English -ous. First attested in the 17th century. Doublet of vicar.

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.”

   “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.”

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.”

   “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.”