Vicariate
/vɪˈkɛə.ri.ət/noun
The office, district, or jurisdiction of a vicar; also, to act as a vicar or substitute.
Did you know?Vicariate comes from the same Latin root as *vicar*, meaning a substitute or deputy, from *vicarius*—someone who stands in for another, a concept that shaped church hierarchy for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
vicarius
“substitute, deputy, one who takes another's place”
Late Latin
Latin
vicaris / vicariatus
“acting as a substitute or deputy; office of a deputy”
Old French
Old French
vicaire
“a vicar, ecclesiastical deputy”
14th–15th Century
English
vicariate
“the office or jurisdiction of a vicar”
Modern English
English
vicariate
“the office, district, or function of a vicar; to act as a vicar or substitute”