ombudsman

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

noun

, plural om·buds·men [om, -b, uh, dz-m, uh, n, -men, -b, oo, dz-, awm, -, om-, boodz, -m, uh, n, -men, awm-].

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. (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 Formal namesCommissioner for Local AdministrationHealth Service CommissionerParliamentary Commissioner 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

Some are pushing a proposal to create an ombudsman that would investigate complaints about the department.

From ProPublica

Vollen-Katz said one step the state could take would be to create a corrections ombudsman who could investigate complaints and find solutions.

From ProPublica

He said he had already emailed the student ombudsman twice, and never received a reply.

From Voice of San Diego

DHS this week announced the appointment of a new ombudsman for immigration detention, after House Democrats demanded increased oversight and accountability.

From Washington Post

Complaints also have declined because those who typically file complaints on behalf of nursing home residents — family members, other visitors and long-term care ombudsmen — were shut out of facilities.

From Voice of San Diego

An inquiry headed by the Police Ombudsman, a sort of referee figure, came down against the informer allegation.

From The Daily Beast

He not only favors New Jersey's civil-unions law, but argued that it should be backed with an ombudsman to enforce it.

From The Daily Beast

“If you look at the new media players, not one of them has an ombudsman,” she notes.

From The Daily Beast

The Post's ombudsman rightly defended his paper's judgement.

From The Daily Beast

It is impossible for a single ombudsman to end all those problems quickly.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

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