Ombudsman

Word of the Day for Thursday, October 18, 2012

Ombudsman \OM-buhdz-muhn\, noun:

A government official who hears and investigates complaints by private citizens against other officials or government agencies.

Despite these common characteristics of ombudsman systems, there are significant variations across national contexts. The Swedish and Danish ombudsmen exemplify two different models.
-- Bruce E. Cain, Russell J. Dalton, Susan E. Scarrow, Democracy Transformed?

You have reached the Washington Sun's ombudsman desk. If you feel you have been inaccurately quoted, press one. If you spoke to a reporter off the record but were identified in the article, press two…
-- Christopher Buckley, Thank You for Smoking

Fate, or destiny, under God, is the poor man's omnipotent ombudsman.
-- Robert Irwin, The Arabian Nights

Ombudsman comes from the Swedish word ombud which means "agent, attorney." It entered English in the 1910s.

Thanks to: www.dictionary.com