vicarious
4 synonyms and 3 antonyms for vicarious, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Experienced indirectly, by imagining or watching what happens to someone else rather than doing it yourself.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use vicarious
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
vicarious pleasure
live vicariously through
vicarious liability
vicarious trauma
Neutral to formal. The 'living vicariously' sense can be mildly critical, suggesting someone is missing out on their own life.
Etymology
From Latin vicarius 'substitute, deputy', from vicis 'a turn, a change'.
Full origin of vicarious →Frequently asked questions
What does living vicariously through someone mean?
It means getting your own enjoyment or sense of achievement from watching someone else's life rather than from your own. A parent who pushes a child into the sporting career they never had is living vicariously through them.
What is vicarious trauma?
It is the lasting emotional harm that can come from repeated exposure to other people's suffering, common among therapists, social workers, journalists and emergency responders. The person is affected deeply without having experienced the original event themselves.
What is the difference between vicarious and empathetic?
Empathy is understanding and sharing what another person feels. A vicarious experience goes further: you actually derive the pleasure, thrill or distress yourself, as if it had happened to you.
