> Experienced or realized through imaginative or sympathetic participation in the experience of another
> Performed or suffered by one person as a substitute for another or to the benefit or advantage of another
> Occurring in an unexpected or abnormal part of the body instead of the usual one
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.”
Example
As my daughter was crowned the winner of the beauty pageant, I felt vicarious excitement coursing through my veins.
When my teenage son got in trouble for skipping school, I felt a vicarious sense of guilt.
Since I have many food allergies, I tend to be a vicarious eater who enjoys food through the stories of others