apocrisiarius

noun

ap·o·cri·si·ar·i·us

ˌapəˌkriz(h)ēˈa(a)rēəs

variants or less commonly apocrisiary

-ˈkriz(h)ēˌerē,

-zhərē

plural apocrisiarii

-a(a)rēˌī,

-rēˌē

or apocrisiaries

: a plenipotentiary delegate formerly representing a power and residing at a foreign capital

especially : a papal nuncio serving at the imperial court in Constantinople during the early centuries of the medieval era

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin apocrisiarius, apocrisarius, from Late Greek apokrisis message (from Greek, answer, from apokrinesthai to answer—from apokrinein to separate, choose, from apo- + krinein to separate, distinguish, decide— + -sis) + Latin -arius -ary