Word of the Day

: August 2, 2010

vicarious

adjective vye-KAIR-ee-us

What It Means

1 : done or suffered for the benefit of someone else

2 : sharing in someone else’s experience through the use of the imagination or sympathetic feelings

vicarious in Context

Though I have never been to the Caribbean, I always take vicarious pleasure in hearing about Leslie’s trips there with her family.

Did You Know?

If you act in someone’s stead, you take his or her place, at least temporarily. The oldest meaning of "vicarious," which was first recorded in 1637, is "serving in someone or something’s stead." The word "vicarious" derives from the Latin noun "vicis," which means "change," "alternation," or "stead." "Vicis" is also the source of the English prefix "vice-" (as in "vice president"), meaning "one that takes the place of."