OMBUDSMAN

ombudsman

(noun) a government appointee who investigates complaints by private persons against the government

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

ombudsman (plural ombudsmen)

An appointed official whose duty is to investigate complaints, generally on behalf of individuals such as consumers or taxpayers, against institutions such as companies and government departments.

A designated internal mediator in an organization whose duty is to assist members with conflict resolution and other problems and to serve as an independent consultant to recommend changes to policies or procedures to improve organization effectiveness, efficiency, and humaneness.

Usage notes

• This term is derived from Swedish, in which language the suffix -man is not always gender-specific. Nevertheless, the words ombud, ombuds, ombudsperson, and ombudswoman have been coined to remedy the perceived gender-specificity of ombudsman in English.

Source: Wiktionary