What does "vicarious" mean?
Vicarious: Acting of suffering for another; as, a vicarious agent or officer. The soul in the body is but a subordinate efficient, and vicarious . . . in the hands of the Almighty. Sir M. Hale.
Additional senses
- 2.Performed of suffered in the place of another; substituted; as, a vicarious sacrifice; vicarious punishment. The vicarious work of the Great Deliverer. I. Taylor.
- 3.(Med.) Acting as a substitute; -- said of abnormal action which replaces a suppressed normal function; as, vicarious hemorrhage replacing menstruation.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00