ombudsman

views updated May 29 2018

ombudsman Official appointed to safeguard citizens' rights by investigating complaints of injustice made against the government or its employees. The office was created in Sweden in 1809. A number of other countries adopted the office from the mid-1950s onwards, including Britain in 1967. Some UK companies, such as newspapers and banks, employ ombudsmen to handle customer complaints.

ombudsman

views updated May 14 2018

om·buds·man / ˈämbədzmən; -ˌboŏdz-/ • n. (pl. -men) an official appointed to investigate individuals' complaints against maladministration, esp. that of public authorities.