de minimis

adjective

de min·i·mis dē-ˈmi-nə-məs

dā-ˈmē-ni-mis

Synonyms of de minimis next

: lacking significance or importance : so minor as to merit disregard

de minimis fringe benefits

what amounts to a de minimis tax increase

Did you know?

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

investors disappointed by stock dividends that were decidedly de minimis

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Critics say the de minimis provision gets cheap stuff to U.S. consumers via e-commerce but also raises safety concerns and risks. —

Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024 Taxpayers can determine the value of their losses through methods such as insurance company declarations, contractor estimates, or the de minimis method, which allows for a good-faith estimate of losses up to $5,000. —

Raul Elizalde, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 Direct-to-consumer retailers Temu and Shein have benefited greatly from the de minimis loophole. —

Catherine Salfino, Sourcing Journal, 10 Oct. 2024 The administration is also urging Congress to pass comprehensive de minimis reform legislation by the end of the year. —

Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for de minimis