Legal Definitions - nuntio

Nuntio is a Latin word that means "to announce." In English, it has two meanings:

1. A papal ambassador to a foreign court or government. This person represents the Vatican in a country that maintains diplomatic relations with it. Nuntio is also known as nuncio or nuncius.
2. An archaic term for a messenger.

Example 1: The nuntio from the Vatican arrived in Washington D.C. to meet with government officials.

Example 2: In Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence sends a nuntio to Romeo to inform him of Juliet's fake death.

Example 1 illustrates the first meaning of nuntio. The nuntio is a representative of the Vatican who is sent to a foreign country to maintain diplomatic relations. Example 2 illustrates the second meaning of nuntio. The nuntio is a messenger who is sent to deliver important news.