From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishconflict of interest/interestsconflict of interest/interestsa) DIFFERENTa situation in which you cannot do your job fairly because you will be affected by the decision you make There is a growing conflict of interest between her position as a politician and her business activities. b) a situation in which different people want different things → conflict
Examples from the Corpus
conflict of interest/interests• Camelot then protested about a conflict of interest because Freshfields had worked for Sir Richard's Virgin company.• A conveyancer must be acutely conscious of the problems a conflict of interest might impose.• We don't see any conflict of interest.• E denied the charges, saying Satrap left while under investigation for conflicts of interest.• There were gross conflicts of interest involved in that land deal.• The question of conflicts of interest and duty within financial conglomerates and the regulation thereof is not entirely academic.• It helps to avoid potential conflicts of interest, but equally it has pitched for business against its parent - and won.• Both failed to sell stock they owned after being warned of potential conflicts of interests. 