vicarious
vye-KAIR-ee-uhss
/vɪˈkɛər.i.əs/
Experienced or realized through imaginative participation in the feelings or actions of another; in law, assigned to a person for another's actions.
In legal contexts, 'vicarious liability' holds a principal or employer liable for wrongs committed by an agent or employee.
The story behind the word. From Latin vicarius ('substituted or acting in place of another'), from vicis ('change, turn, or position'). In common law, vicarious liability reflects the rule that an employer stands in the shoes of their worker.
Word relationships
- derivative: Derivative emphasizes that legal liability flows down or stems from someone else's primary act.
- indirect: Indirect is a general word, whereas vicarious specifically denotes substitution or standing in another's place.
- direct: Direct liability arises from one's own immediate actions.
- firsthand: Firsthand experience is direct rather than substituted.
Commonly confused with
- precarious: Vicarious means done or felt through another; precarious means dangerously insecure or unstable.
Word family
- vicariously (adverb): In a vicarious manner
- vicar (noun): A representative or deputy in church governance
Collocations
- vicarious liability
- vicarious thrill
- vicarious trauma
- vicariously liable
Example sentences
- "The delivery company faced vicarious liability when one of its drivers caused an accident during work hours." Employment law case
- "Parents often experience a vicarious sense of pride when watching their children excel on stage." General psychological observation
Memory hook
VICARious = VICAR acting as a substitute representative. Standing in for someone else's action.
When not to use
Do not use in legal contexts to mean 'sympathetic'; it specifically means taking legal responsibility for another's acts.
Fun facts
- The word 'vicar' (a religious minister acting on behalf of a bishop) comes from the exact same Latin root vicarius.
Explore more words
empathy, empathetic, accomplice, sympathetic, Indemnify, indemnification
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