Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

vicarious

adjective

/vɪˈkɛr.i.əs/

Definition

experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.

Examples

She felt a vicarious thrill as she watched her friend perform on stage.
Many people enjoy vicarious adventures through books and movies.
His vicarious emotions provided him with a sense of belonging to a world he had never experienced.

Meaning

The term ‘vicarious’ refers to a secondary experience or feeling that comes from witnessing or imagining someone else’s experiences rather than engaging in that experience directly.