ombudsman
noun
om·buds·man
| \ ˈäm-ˌbu̇dz-mən
, ˈȯm-, -bədz-, -ˌman; äm-ˈbu̇dz-, ȯm-\
, ˈȯm-, -bədz-, -ˌman; äm-ˈbu̇dz-, ȯm-\
plural ombudsmen\ ˈäm-ˌbu̇dz-mən
, ˈȯm- , -bədz- ; äm-ˈbu̇dz- , ȯm- \
, ˈȯm- , -bədz- ; äm-ˈbu̇dz- , ȯm- \
Definition of ombudsman
1
: a government official (as in Sweden or New Zealand) appointed to receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against abuses or capricious acts of public officials
The town's ombudsman said he would look into charges of corruption.
2
: one that investigates, reports on, and helps settle complaints
An ombudsman will deal with complaints from the hospital's patients and staff.
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from ombudsman
ombudsmanship
\ ˈäm-ˌbu̇dz-mən-ˌship
, ˈȯm- , -bədz- , -ˌman- ; äm-ˈbu̇dz- , ȯm- \
noun
, ˈȯm- , -bədz- , -ˌman- ; äm-ˈbu̇dz- , ȯm- \
noun
Examples of ombudsman in a Sentence
The insurance company's ombudsman was able to resolve the problem.
The town's ombudsman said he would look into charges of corruption.
Recent Examples on the Web
The state’s long-term care ombudsman would be involved in the consideration of any transfers of residents. — Josh Kovner, courant.com, "As trend shifts to in-home care, Connecticut cuts funding to nine nursing homes with high vacancy rates," 22 Aug. 2019 In their reform bill, Moran and Blumenthal would mandate that the ombudsman operate independently and maintain confidentiality. — Sally Jenkins, chicagotribune.com, "Commentary: When athletes kneel, the rotten U.S. Olympic regime has no moral standing to object," 13 Aug. 2019 The state agency also created a patient ombudsman position to investigate cases where the patient believes their rights were violated. — Martha Bellisle, The Seattle Times, "Lawsuit settlement gives some Washington state psychiatric patients more rights," 8 Aug. 2019 Colombia’s ombudsman has launched an investigation against Robledo in response. — Time, "World Bank Arm Implicated in Latin American Graft Scandal," 2 July 2019 Colombia’s ombudsman has launched an investigation against Robledo in response. — Washington Post, "World Bank unit implicated in Latin America graft scandal," 2 July 2019 An independent ombudsman must be established who can properly investigate racist and other discriminatory practices. — Katy Sian, Quartz, "“Liberal racism” continues to plague Britain’s universities," 27 June 2019 The ombudsman office in each state offers help to families navigating long-term care. — John Caniglia, cleveland.com, "Amid growth of assisted living, some renew calls for federal oversight," 23 June 2019 The bill creates a student loan ombudsman with responsibilities that include reviewing and possibly resolving complaints from borrowers. — USA TODAY, "Black Union regiment flag, Notorious BIG, Pikachu the mini pony: News from around our 50 states," 12 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ombudsman.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for ombudsman
ombudsman
noun
English Language Learners Definition of ombudsman
: a person (such as a government official or an employee) who investigates complaints and tries to deal with problems fairly
See the full definition for ombudsman in the English Language Learners Dictionary
Keep scrolling for more