Dictionary

ombudsman

noun om·buds·man \ˈäm-ˌbdz-mən, ˈm-, -bədz-, -ˌman; äm-ˈbdz-, m-\

: a person (such as a government official or an employee) who investigates complaints and tries to deal with problems fairly

plural om·buds·men\-mən\

Full 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
2
:  one that investigates, reports on, and helps settle complaints
om·buds·man·ship \-ˌship\ noun
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Origin of OMBUDSMAN

Swedish, literally, representative, from Old Norse umbothsmathr, from umboth commission + mathr man
First Known Use: 1959

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

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