de minimis
AmericanUsage
What does de minimis mean? De minimis means so small or inconsequential as to not be worthy of attention. De minimis is typically used in a legal context in regard to things that are not important or significant enough to be bound by rules or regulations. It is often used in phrases like de minimis rule or de minimis exemption. Like many other technical legal terms, de minimis comes from Latin. Example: Amounts that low are considered de minimis, so they don’t need to be reported as taxable income.
Etymology
Origin of de minimis
First recorded in 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
All but the litter charges were thrown out, and even that was deemed de minimis.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
“The ability to use de minimis is not part of the equation here. The only part of the equation is the Ieepa tariffs,” Rosenzweig said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
Last year, he ended what was known as the de minimis exemption, which had allowed goods valued at $800 or less to enter the US without paying any tariffs.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
More shoppers are likely to encounter that scenario this holiday season — the first without the de minimis tax exemption, a nearly century-old rule that allowed low-value goods to enter the U.S. tariff-free.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 10, 2025
He whirled and came back open-mouthed, and the little boy and big basket had to whisk semicircularly not to be run down, for de minimis non curat Medicina—even when not in a rage.
From The Cloister and the Hearth A Tale of the Middle Ages by Reade, Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
