conflict of interest

Noun

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

1. 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.
   • 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.2016 January 31, “Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton’s Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem?”, in Vanity Fair, retrieved 21 Jan 2016
   • 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.2023 March 29, Rowena Mason, “Rishi Sunak’s childcare policy risks conflict of interest with wife’s firm”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   Synonyms:

   COI

2. The competing interest itself.