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
Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
The de minimis rule When investors buy municipal bonds at a discount to their par value – the amount that the issuer will repay at maturity – tax consequences may arise.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2025
It may be related to the executive order Trump signed Saturday that ditched the de minimis tax exemption on U.S.-bound shipments valued at less than $800.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
The loophole is expected to be shut again once the Commerce Department and customs officials put systems in place to process and collect tariffs on the millions of de minimis packages that flow into the U.S. daily.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 28 Feb. 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 19 Mar. 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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