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
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Over time, the de minimis exemption also came to be used by small businesses in the U.S., to import small volumes of items without having to pay tariffs.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 2 May 2025
Already, for example, Shein and Temu raised prices ahead of the de minimis exemption’s end, hiking prices on several goods tracked by CNN.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Snap’s finance chief Derek Andersen said during an earnings call that some advertisers are already seeing an impact from changes to the de minimis exemption.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Apr. 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 7 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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