conflict of interest

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of conflict of interest¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

His credibility is worsened by numerous conflicts of interest, including receiving money from anti-vaccine organizations that he has worked for while positioning himself to profit from anti-vaccine lawsuits.

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Executives at Cantor Fitzgerald see Lutnick’s role in the administration—and perceived potential conflicts of interest—as a minor distraction.

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Second, we are taking a clear stance to eliminate conflicts of interest in the proxy-voting industry.

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Proxy advisers don’t have to disclose conflicts of interest, leaving investors and companies in the dark about potential biases that could influence voting recommendations.

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Although Ms. Baharav-Miara has acknowledged her own obvious conflict of interest, she insists she has monopoly authority over all investigations and opposes the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Gen. Tomer-Yerushalmi.

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