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

The Police Ombudsman’s office will inform them of its conclusions on Tuesday.

From BBC

The ombudsman’s investigation, which began in March 2021, resulted in a file of 1,400 pages being sent to the PSNI.

From BBC

It is understood a number of further complaints related to the case have been made to the ombudsman more recently.

From BBC

The family had been celebrating a birthday at the time, Ukraine's ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said a day after the killings.

From BBC

The Prison Service confirmed his death at HMP Full Sutton and added: “As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”

From BBC

Related Words

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