Origin of the Word "Ombudsman"

"Ombudsman" is a Swedish term dating back to the 1800’s. It means a person who has an ear to the people. It is used world-wide to designate impartial, confidential and independent offices that receive inquiries and concerns from groups of people, and work to achieve fair solutions.

The term ombudsman is used to communicate to the widest possible community and is not intended to discourage others from using alternative forms of this word, such as ombudsperson or ombuds.