ombudsman

[om-buhdz-muhn, -man, -boodz-, awm-, om-boodz-muhn, -man, awm-]

noun

plural

ombudsmen 

1. a government official who hears and investigates complaints by private citizens against other officials or government agencies.

2. a person who investigates and attempts to resolve complaints and problems, as between employees and an employer or between students and a university.

ombudsman

/ ˈɒmbʊdzmən /

noun

1. a commissioner who acts as independent referee between individual citizens and their government or its administration

2. 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

ombudsman

1. An official appointed by a government or other organization to investigate complaints against people in authority. This position is designed to give those with less power — the “little people” — a voice in the operation of large organizations.

Gender Note

See -man.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ombudsman¹

1910–15; < Swedish: legal representative, equivalent to ombud agent, attorney + -s ’s ¹ + -man -man

Word History and Origins

Origin of ombudsman¹

C20: from Swedish: commissioner

Example Sentences

Petro had refused to halt the bombings despite a request from the office of Colombia's human rights ombudsman.

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President Gustavo Petro reported the deaths of five children in two recent military bombings, adding to seven reported by the office of Colombia's human rights ombudsman.

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The law also creates an antisemitism prevention coordinator, separate from the Department of Education, who would act as an ombudsman reporting on and documenting incidents of antisemitism.

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The former police ombudsman for Northern Ireland added that she was "so brave and effective in all that she did".

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Business ombudsman Roman Waschuk said the evidence "appears quite flimsy" and warned against "targeting people for simply performing their normal corporate functions."

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Related Words

• authority 
• court 
• critic 
• expert 
• inspector 
• justice 
• referee