conflict of interest
Americannoun
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the circumstance of a public officeholder, business executive, or the like, whose personal interests might benefit from their official actions or influence.
The senator placed his stocks in trust to avoid possible conflict of interest.
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the circumstance of a person who finds that one of their own activities, interests, etc., can be advanced only at the expense of another of them.
Etymology
Origin of conflict of interest
First recorded in 1950–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Oyer, in her own Substack, notes just how obvious Blanche’s conflict of interest has become since his appointment as deputy AG—and how much worse it could still get.
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026
“Obviously there’s a conflict of interest here,” said Oxford’s Franta, pointing to BP’s financial interest in climate policy that might arise from the paper’s conclusions.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
The federation, however, insists there is no conflict of interest.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
This was starting to look like a conflict of interest, analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● May 25, 2026
Del Mar, conscious of the potential conflict of interest for the Howards and Smiths, barred public wagering on the race.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
