aviso

Aviso is a word used in Spanish and Portuguese with several related meanings. In everyday language it denotes a notice, warning, or advisory: a document or signal that informs, alerts, or prepares someone for forthcoming events. Common phrases include aviso legal (legal notice), aviso de llegada (arrival notice), and aviso de privacidad (privacy notice). The form derives from the verb avisar, to inform or warn, ultimately tracing back to Latin roots through the Romance languages.

In legal and administrative contexts, an aviso can be an official notification issued by authorities, organizations, or courts; it may require a response or action within a specified period. Public announcements and consumer notices are often referred to as avisos.

In naval usage, aviso or avisos referred to a class of small, fast warships used for dispatches, reconnaissance, and patrol duties. They carried orders and messages between fleets and ports and were typically faster and more lightly armed than larger frigates or ships of the line. The term is used in several navies, especially in the Iberian and French traditions; over time, many avio ships evolved into other ship types such as corvettes or gunboats.

Today the word remains common in administrative language for notices and warnings, while in maritime history it denotes a specific category of light, fast vessels that served as message carriers and patrol craft.