Nuxt 3 is a framework built on Vue 3 that adds layers: server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), API routes via Nitro backend, file-based routing, middleware, plugins, and a module ecosystem. It's an "opinioned" full-stack framework—you pick Nuxt and get conventions for both frontend and backend. The framework unifies concerns: you write Vue components (frontend), define API routes in /server/routes (backend), and Nuxt handles the bridge. This unified mental model accelerates development compared to managing separate frontend and backend codebases.