conflict of interest

conflict of interest (countable and uncountable, plural conflicts of interest)

1. (law) A situation in which an individual or legal entity in a position of trust (such as an attorney, investment advisor, broker, politician, executive, director, scientist or physician) has competing professional or personal interests.
   • 2016 January 31, “Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton’s Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem?”, in Vanity Fair, retrieved 21 January 2016:

     Grassley continues to probe Abedin’s potential conflicts of interest when she was getting four different paychecks at once. “We know she set up dinners for Secretary Clinton and her private-sector employers and e-mailed private-sector employees from government accounts,” he says.

   • 2023 March 29, Rowena Mason, “Rishi Sunak’s childcare policy risks conflict of interest with wife’s firm”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:

     Rishi Sunak is facing questions over a potential conflict of interest after it emerged a childcare firm part owned by his wife is to benefit from major changes in the budget.

2. The competing interest itself.

• COI

• impartiality
• See also disinterested § Synonyms