conflict of interest

noun phrase

: a conflict between the private interests and the official responsibilities of a person in a position of trust

Examples of conflict of interest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The key is, they don’t get paid to sell you certain financial products, which can be a conflict of interest, Benz says. —Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025

The Washington County Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, but court proceedings were held in Anoka County District Court to avoid a potential conflict of interest. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 4 Dec. 2025

The legal filing additionally alleges a conflict of interest, as the nonprofit’s board president David Sander is also a councilmember who did not recuse himself from the vote. —Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 3 Dec. 2025

When those who craft our laws and receive information unavailable to the general public are able to buy and trade stocks that are influenced by those laws and that information, that is the very definition of a conflict of interest. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conflict of interest

• noninterest

Legal Definition

conflict of interest

con·​flict of interest

ˈkän-ˌflikt-

1

: a conflict between the private interests and the official or professional responsibilities of a person in a position of trust

2

: a conflict between competing duties (as in an attorney's representation of clients with adverse interests) see also ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct