flag of convenience

American  

noun

1. the foreign flag under which merchant ships register in order to save on taxes or wages, or to avoid government regulations.

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flag of convenience British  

noun

1. a national flag flown by a ship registered in that country to gain financial or legal advantage

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Etymology

Origin of flag of convenience

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Another popular method of deception is to adopt a false flag or flag of convenience.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

Most athletes who defected competed under a kind of flag of convenience – traveling to the Summer Games from eastern Europe with a plan to head west.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2021

In fact, the law indicates the country’s willingness to serve as a sort of flag of convenience for spacecrafts, allowing them to play by one country’s futuristic rules in the absence of universal, binding agreements.

From The Guardian • Sep. 15, 2017

Perversely, a flag of convenience, seen as a way to avoid government regulation, had Shell seeking a government safety net — and a longer, more dangerous, near-shore route.

From New York Times • Dec. 30, 2014

Very few merchant ships carry British flags now - many fly a flag of convenience.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2012