ombudsman
Americannoun
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ombudsmen
plural
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a government official who hears and investigates complaints by private citizens against other officials or government agencies.
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a person who investigates and attempts to resolve complaints and problems, as between employees and an employer or between students and a university.
noun
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a commissioner who acts as independent referee between individual citizens and their government or its administration
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Formal names: Commissioner for Local Administration. Health Service Commissioner. Parliamentary Commissioner. (in Britain) an official, without power of sanction or mechanism of appeal, who investigates complaints of maladministration by members of the public against national or local government or its servants See also Financial Ombudsman
Gender
See -man.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ombudsman
1910–15; < Swedish: legal representative, equivalent to ombud agent, attorney + -s ’s 1 + -man -man
Explanation
In the U.S., your congressman is considered your unofficial ombudsman or the state official who investigates and makes sure the government is acting in the best interest of its citizens. The word come directly from the Swedish ombudsman, meaning "legal representative." An ombudsman is a legal representative, often appointed by a government or organization to investigate complaints made by individuals in the interest of the citizens or employees. Usually this is a state official appointed to oversee an investigation of complaints about improper government activity against citizens.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In April, the Pentagon fired Jacqueline Smith, the newspaper’s ombudsman, whose job was specifically intended to protect its editorial independence.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
Following an ombudsman investigation, the trust apologised and said "we did not get things right".
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
"Even though this is painful for me, we need to do what is right," he said of charges the country's ombudsman are preparing against former House of Representatives speaker Martin Romualdez.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
It’s the first time that the board has rejected the findings of the IFC ombudsman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
An ombudsman would scan the news stories, research whatever statistics are mentioned, try to see that they are at least internally consistent, and probe most carefully into a priori implausible claims.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Under Sheinbaum’s blueprint, broadcasters would be required to develop codes of ethics, name ombudsmen to represent viewers and listeners, and establish mechanisms to receive and evaluate complaints.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Further, to support implementation, the House Budget Committee and Ways and Means Committee could appoint ombudsmen to oversee the CBO and JCT transparency efforts respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025
“Our ombudsmen walk in markets, public places, universities, schools, madrasas and mosques,” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 17, 2023
Second, create internal confidential whistleblower systems and support independent media ombudsmen.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 7, 2023
Richard Harwood, the Post's ombudsmen, eventually admitted the paper had lost “a proper sense of perspective” due to such a “hyperbole epidemic.”
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
