Ombuds

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɒmbədz/

Definitions

1. An official appointed to investigate complaints against public authorities or institutions
2. A mediator who helps resolve disputes by providing oversight and guidance
3. A designated individual who advocates for the rights and interests of individuals within an organization or system

Etymology: "Ombuds" is a clipping of "ombudsman," so its story is really the story of that longer word. "Ombudsman" comes from Swedish "ombudsman," a compound of "ombud," meaning a representative or agent, and "man," meaning man. The Swedish office dates back to the early 1800s, when the Riksdag appointed a parliamentary official to supervise the courts and administration on its behalf, and the idea spread across the world in the twentieth century as a mechanism for investigating citizens' complaints against government. The clipped form "ombuds" drops the final "-man," which is the common shortening pattern for words of this kind. It is a noun that reads most naturally as the name of the office itself, or of a person holding it, rather than of a general mediator. Its pronunciation, /ˈɒmbədz/, reflects the English stress on the first syllable, a pattern English speakers apply to many borrowed words of Scandinavian origin.

Synonyms: ombudsman, representative, mediator, advocate, intercessor