emoluments clause
noun
variants
or Emoluments Clause
1
or foreign emoluments clause
: a clause in Article 1, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution that prohibits federal officeholders from accepting any present, emolument, office, or title from any foreign state or its rulers or representatives
2
or domestic emoluments clause
: a clause in Article 2, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution that prohibits the president from receiving any emolument from the federal government or from any state other than the compensation Section 1 provides for service as chief executive
Examples of emoluments clause in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The whole point of the emoluments clause is to prevent officeholders from being influenced by foreign governments due to personal gain.
—
The Editors, National Review, 13 May 2025
The guest list included foreign nationals such as crypto billionaire Justin Sun, prompting accusations of selling access to the presidency and violating the Constitution's emoluments clause.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
And while the emoluments clause of the Constitution gives Congress the power to limit the president from profiting off his position through foreign gifts, Trump’s broad embrace of crypto and many other businesses has gone far beyond what any previous president has done while in office.
—Ben Goggin, NBC news, 23 May 2025
The Supreme Court passed on an opportunity to define the scope of the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause in a long-running case tied to Trump’s international business holdings.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 13 May 2025
Some say accepting such a lavish gift violates the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause, while others see it as a bid to buy influence from Qatar.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Democrats and government watchdogs have suggested that the donation would violate the emoluments clause of the Constitution prohibiting gifts from foreign governments to public office holders and create an incentive structure for Trump regarding Qatar.
—Arkansas Online, 13 May 2025
Lawsuits filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia accused him of violating the emoluments clause.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 May 2025
Because President Trump has not fully disengaged from his business interests, there is a potential violation of the emoluments clause, just as there was in the first Trump term.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2025
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The Editors, National Review, 13 May 2025
The guest list included foreign nationals such as crypto billionaire Justin Sun, prompting accusations of selling access to the presidency and violating the Constitution's emoluments clause.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
And while the emoluments clause of the Constitution gives Congress the power to limit the president from profiting off his position through foreign gifts, Trump’s broad embrace of crypto and many other businesses has gone far beyond what any previous president has done while in office.
—Ben Goggin, NBC news, 23 May 2025
The Supreme Court passed on an opportunity to define the scope of the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause in a long-running case tied to Trump’s international business holdings.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 13 May 2025
Some say accepting such a lavish gift violates the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause, while others see it as a bid to buy influence from Qatar.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Democrats and government watchdogs have suggested that the donation would violate the emoluments clause of the Constitution prohibiting gifts from foreign governments to public office holders and create an incentive structure for Trump regarding Qatar.
—Arkansas Online, 13 May 2025
Lawsuits filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia accused him of violating the emoluments clause.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 May 2025
Because President Trump has not fully disengaged from his business interests, there is a potential violation of the emoluments clause, just as there was in the first Trump term.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Emoluments clause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emoluments%20clause. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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