vicario
“vicario” means “vicarious” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
vicarious
Also: substitute, delegated
📝 In Action
Muchos padres buscan un éxito vicario a través de sus hijos.
C1Many parents seek vicarious success through their children.
El poder del regente es puramente vicario.
C2The regent's power is purely delegated (acting for another).
Sentí un placer vicario al verla ganar el premio.
C1I felt a vicarious pleasure seeing her win the prize.
vicar
Also: deputy
📝 In Action
El vicario de la parroquia organizó el evento.
C1The parish vicar organized the event.
El Papa es considerado el Vicario de Cristo.
C2The Pope is considered the Vicar of Christ.
Nombraron a un nuevo vicario judicial.
C2They appointed a new judicial vicar.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: vicario
Question 1 of 3
If you enjoy a travel documentary as if you were there yourself, you are having a ______ experience.
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'vicarius', which means 'substitute' or 'deputy'. This comes from 'vicis', meaning 'change', 'turn', or 'stead'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'vicario' the same as 'sustituto'?
They are very similar, but 'vicario' is much more formal and usually implies that someone has been officially delegated authority, whereas 'sustituto' can be anyone filling in.
What does 'aprendizaje vicario' mean?
In psychology, it means 'observational learning'—learning by watching what happens to other people rather than doing it yourself.
Can I use 'vicario' to describe a substitute teacher?
Technically you could in a very old-fashioned legal sense, but in real life, you should use 'profesor sustituto'. 'Vicario' would sound very strange in a school.