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:
The board will apparently act as a sort of ombudsman that will arbitrate disputes between employees and management regarding “alleged reporting bias or failure to meet agreed reporting fairness standards.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
It is a situation that MPs and chief ombudsman, Nigel Cates, say urgently needs to change.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The ombudsman says the increase partly reflects more homeowners being eligible to use the service, as well as greater awareness of it.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
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
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
Other parts of the UK have similar ombudsmen schemes.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
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
According to WHO protocols, her complaint should have been investigated by the organization’s office of internal oversight, following guidance from ombudsmen, who help staff mediate personnel problems.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 10, 2023
Newspaper columns on usage are filled with apologies for “errors” like these, spotted by ombudsmen or managing editors who have trained themselves to flag them.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
