SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
vicarious
adjective
Experienced through another person's actions or experiences.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Experienced through another
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topVicarious experience occurs through another person's experience or its representation. Mediated only identifies an intermediary; empathetic concerns understanding feelings.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See vicarious in use
Reading expedition journals gave her a vicarious sense of adventure.
A reader feels vicarious embarrassment through the messenger's faltering attempt to explain the discovery at a crowded dinner.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license