vicar Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a Roman Catholic priest who acts for another higher-ranking clergyman
  2. noun (Episcopal Church) a clergyman in charge of a chapel
  3. noun (Church of England) a clergyman appointed to act as priest of a parish

WordNet

Vic"ar noun
Etymology
OE. vicar, viker, vicair, F. vicaire, fr. L. vicarius. See Vicarious.
Definitions
  1. One deputed or authorized to perform the functions of another; a substitute in office; a deputy. R.
  2. (Eng. Eccl. Law) The incumbent of an appropriated benefice. ✍ The distinction between a parson [or rector] and vicar is this: The parson has, for the most part, the whole right to the ecclesiastical dues in his parish; but a vicar has generally an appropriator over him, entitled to the best part of the profits, to whom he is in fact perpetual curate with a standing salary. Burrill.

Webster 1913