ombudswoman

American  

[om-buhdz-woom-uhn, -boodz-, awm-] / ˈɒm bədzˌwʊm ən, -bʊdz-, ˈɔm- /

noun

plural

ombudswomen

1. a woman employed to investigate complaints against government or institutional officials, employers, etc.

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Gender

See -woman.

Etymology

Origin of ombudswoman

First recorded in 1960–65; ombuds(man) + -woman

Example Sentences

The Voronezh region, which surrounds the city and borders a part of Ukraine captured by Moscow, is one of the "most frequently" targeted in aerial attacks, Russian ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova said last month.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

Latvia's ombudswoman Karina Palkova called for the treaty not to be politicised, and the group Equality Now said it was "not a threat to Latvian values, it was a tool to realise them".

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2025

In 2023, when Sharony worked in the ombudswoman role for half of the year, the office received twice as many complaints and all have since been closed out, according to Lamb.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2025

The children’s rights ombudswoman argued that he was being taken there “under false pretenses.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2023

“Miss Thrush was grooming me to be second assistant to the ombudswoman there. The examination’s very difficult. I’ve been studying for twenty-one years.”

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs