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.
The board rejected Blundy’s board candidacy twice, citing “serious reputational, legal, conflict of interest and governance risks.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
This so-called revenue-sharing arrangement creates a conflict of interest.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
Sir Chris said Lord Mandelson was not directly asked in person about any conflict of interest, but instead needed to fill in a form aimed more at potential financial conflicts.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
There was a time when the very concept of a conflict of interest in politics was a serious matter that could cause investigations and resignations in the federal government.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026
There they erected new walls around themselves, to create at least the illusion that Morgan Stanley had no conflict of interest.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
