In the broadest sense, a vicar (from the Latin vicarius) is anyone acting "in the person of" or for a superior (compare "vicarious"). In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant. Usually the title appears in a number of Christian ecclesiastical contexts, but in the Holy Roman Empire a local representative of the emperor, perhaps an archduke, might be styled "vicar". "Representative" is the best definition of this word. Linguistically, it's related to the Persian word vezir. Catholic Ch… (More on Vicar)