From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishvicariousvi‧car‧i‧ous /vɪˈkeəriəs $ vaɪˈker-/ adjective [only before noun] PERSONALLY/YOURSELFexperienced by watching or reading about someone else doing something, rather than by doing it yourselfvicarious pleasure/satisfaction/excitement etc the vicarious pleasure that parents get from their children’s success —vicariously adverb
Examples from the Corpus
vicarious• Inevitably though, these disguises inspired in readers a sense of vicarious danger or disgust.• Disapproving as he was, he still seems to have found vicarious excitement in talking weapons.• Mothers often get some vicarious pleasure from their children's success.• Many people enjoyed the vicarious thrill of military victory.vicarious pleasure/satisfaction/excitement etc• The sense in which he has created it - by writing the poem - is acknowledged to be simply vicarious pleasure.• I laugh a lot, throwing my head back with vicarious pleasure at many of these stories.• Disapproving as he was, he still seems to have found vicarious excitement in talking weapons.Origin vicarious (1600-1700) Latin vicarius “acting in place of another”, from vicis “change, alternation, position” 