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
Joe Hernandez, NPR, 21 Apr. 2025
Of those, about 60% come from China, reported Reuters.
Feb. 7 – Trump paused the elimination of the de minimis tax exemption because those tasked with carrying out the order did not have time to prepare.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
That’s likely a nod to Trump’s plan for the de minimis exemption, which currently allows goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. without duties.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 18 Apr. 2025
In response, Trump re-imposes the $800 de minimis exemption temporarily, allowing the package backlog to clear out.
ASRock to Shift Manufacturing in Response to Trump's China Tariffs
The Taiwanese motherboard and GPU vendor may avoid price increases for now, though, citing a competitive market.
—Pcmag Staff, PC Magazine, 18 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 1 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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