vicarious: Meaning and Definition of

vi•car•i•ous

1. performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: vicarious punishment.
2. taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute.
3. felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others: a vicarious thrill.
4. noting or pertaining to a situation in which one organ performs part of the functions normally performed by another.