vicar

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   in the Church of England, a clergyman appointed to act as priest of a parish

   The local church has a new vicar.

2. 2
   noun

   In the Church of England, the priest of a parish, receiving a salary or stipend but not tithes.

   Near-synonyms: priest, rector, curate.

3. 3
   noun

   A person acting on behalf of, or representing, another person.

   Near-synonyms: proxy, representative, agent.

4. 4
   noun

   a Roman Catholic priest who acts for another higher-ranking clergyman

Simplified etymology

Vicar comes from Latin vicarius, “a substitute.” Around 1300 it referred to someone who stood in for another, initially the pope as an earthly representative of God or Christ and later a clergyman serving in place of an absent parson or rector. It subsequently denoted the minister of a parish whose tithes went to a monastery or other religious house, which paid him as its representative. Vicarious derives from the same Latin word.

From Middle English vicar, viker, vikyr, vicaire, vicare, a borrowing from Anglo-Norman vikare, vicare, vikaire, vikere and Old French vicaire (“deputy, second in command”), from Latin vicārius (“vicarious, substitute”). Doublet of vicarious.

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