Meaning

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

noun (Episcopal Church) a clergyman in charge of a chapel

noun (Church of England) a clergyman appointed to act as priest of a parish

originFrom 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.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0