ombudswoman

American  

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

noun

ombudswomen plural

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

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Gender

See -woman.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• ombudswomen
  plural

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 her role as the ombudswoman for the state’s Office of Youth and Community Restoration, Sharony said supervisors told her she was supposed to be “the only teeth” the agency had.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2025

“During the meeting … very important words were exchanged about the need for a cease-fire,” Russian human rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova wrote on her Telegram channel after the talks.

From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 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