n. 1. a. An Anglican parish priest in a parish where historically someone other than the priest was entitled to the tithes. b. A cleric in charge of a chapel in the Episcopal Church of the United States. 2. An Anglican or Roman Catholic cleric who acts for or represents another, often higher-ranking member of the clergy. [Middle English, from Old French vicaire, from Latin vicārius, vicarious, a substitute, from vicis, genitive of *vix, change; see weik-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] vicar·ship′ n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.