ombudsman

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

an official appointed by government or by an institution to receive and investigate complaints from citizens or members of the public about the conduct and decisions of public authorities, administrative bodies, or regulated organisations; the ombudsman serves as an independent, impartial intermediary between citizens and bureaucracies, receiving complaints, investigating maladministration, and recommending remedies without having the power to overturn administrative decisions or impose fines — relying instead on the authority of reasoned findings and public reporting to achieve compliance; the office originated in Sweden — the Swedish riksdagens ombudsman was established in 1809 — and has since spread to more than 140 countries and to many private sector contexts including banks, insurance companies, and universities; the ombudsman model represents a non-adversarial alternative to litigation for resolving grievances about administrative decisions

Examples

• She filed a complaint with the parliamentary ombudsman after the benefits agency repeatedly lost her documents.
• The banking ombudsman ruled in favour of the customer and ordered the bank to refund the disputed charges.