de minimis
adjective
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Proponents of readable prose over jargon and legalese might argue that the last thing 20th-century American jurisprudence needed was another Latin term. Yet here we have a legal term that entered English only around 1950. Perhaps we should clarify: the legal doctrine of de minimis non curat lex ("the law does not concern itself with trifling matters") has been around for a while, but use of de minimis on its own is relatively recent. At first, the shortened phrase was simply used to refer to the legal doctrine itself ("the de minimis rule"). Then it came to be used more broadly as an adjective ("de minimis contacts with the defendant"). Finally, de minimis leaked out of the courtroom and into the world at large.
Examples of de minimis in a Sentence
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 14 May 2025
The end of the de minimis exemption has upended the business models of companies like Shein and Temu, leaving U.S. consumers unable to procure affordable fashion from the popular e-commerce sites.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 13 May 2025
This new pause will not revert the de minimis exception that went into effect on May 2.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 12 May 2025
The move comes after the U.S. placed sharp tariffs on imports from China, and just days after the expiration of the de minimis exemption, an exclusion that allowed for parcels valued under $800 to come into the U.S. duty free.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for de minimis
Cite this Entry
“De minimis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/de%20minimis. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
de minimis
adjective
Note: An action may be dismissed if the claim or cause is considered de minimis.
New Latin, concerning trifles
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