Make Your Point > Archived Issues > VICARIOUS

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explore the archives: Most of us already know today's word, "vicarious." But many only use it in one rigid phrase: "to live vicariously." So, my goal in featuring this word is to help free it from that phrase by sharing with you lots of other ways you can put it to good use. We did the same thing with b___, meaning to become smaller or less intense. It's usually stuck in a cliched phrase about waiting. Could you recall the phrase, the word, and its other uses? make your point with... "VICARIOUS" Something vicarious transfers a feeling or experience from the person who really has it to another person. In other words, vicarious things are felt or experienced by a person who isn't the one who literally felt or did those things. Pronunciation: vy CARE ee us Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "vicarious joy." 2. After a linking verb, as in "Their joy was vicarious.") Other forms: vicariously, vicariousness How to use it: Talk about vicarious feelings: vicarious pleasure or pain, vicarious excitement and thrills, vicarious grief, the vicarious joy you feel when your kids go down the slide, the vicarious embarrassment induced by the awkward television show you're watching. You can also have vicarious experiences: vicarious suffering, vicarious punishment, vicarious fame or glory, vicarious adventures in the story you're reading, vicarious indulgence in the foods you're watching someone else eat, the vicarious entry into the world of high fashion that the magazine provides. Though "vicarious" mostly describes feelings and experiences, you might also talk about vicarious merits or vicarious virtues: for example, a vicarious reputation has been truly earned by one thing or person yet somehow carried over to someone or something else.  Lastly, yes, you can "live vicariously through" other people or experiences. But we're trying to yank this word free from that cliche. And anyway, why not just say "live through" something or someone? Compare: "The spectators lived vicariously through the players." vs. "The spectators lived through the players." Doesn't the second version sound better? examples: Home is the best place in the world; airplanes, the worst. If I'm going to travel, I'd prefer to do it vicariously through fiction or my friends' Facebook pictures. Subreddits like r/pettyrevenge deliver a vicarious thrill of doling out justice. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "vicarious" means when you can explain it without saying "delivered from elsewhere" or "felt or experienced through something else." try it out: Think of a time you intensely felt someone else's pride or grief, and fill in the blanks: "I felt a burst of vicarious (pride/grief) (as/when) _____." Example: "I felt a burst of vicarious pride when I saw my brother-in-law receive his master's degree." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. When it comes to word roots, everybody knows what some of them mean, like “ambi/amphi” (“both”) and “circum” (“around”) and “hetero” (“different”). This knowledge helps you explain why words like “automobile” and “autobiography” look similar—in this case, it’s because they both involve the concept of “self.” But what about some of the less obvious roots? Could you explain, for example, why “contain” looks so much like “sustain” by defining “tain”? This month, we're exploring the meanings underlying common words you know. You can usually figure these out by looking for an extremely basic concept common to all the words in each group. We’ll start with easier, more obvious roots and move on to trickier ones as the month goes on! Yesterday's question:  In difficult and difficulty, and in facile, facilitate, and facility, what does “fic/fac” mean? Answer: Easy.  Try this last one today: In asset, satisfy, and sate, what does “sat/set” mean?  review today's word: 1. The opposite of VICARIOUS is A. ZERO-ORDER B. FIRST-HAND C. SECOND-RATE 2. _____ provide vicarious _____ to kids in the summertime. A. Volunteer hours .. personal development B. Action movies .. adventures C. Odd jobs .. income Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B