De minimis

De minimis is a Latin expression meaning "pertaining to minimal things", normally in the terms de minimis non curat praetor ("The praetor does not concern himself with trifles") or de minimis non curat lex ("The law does not concern itself with trifles"), a legal doctrine by which a court refuses to consider trifling matters. Queen Christina of Sweden (r. 1633–1654) favoured the similar Latin adage, aquila non capit muscās (the eagle does not catch flies).

The legal history of de minimis dates back to the 15th century in the civil law, although there are earlier antecedents. It was incorporated into David Dudley Field's Maxims of Jurisprudence of New York by the 1800's which was later exported by migrants such as John Chilton Burch to newer states such as California by the 1870's and Montana by the 1890's—as well as to other states such as North Dakota.

The general term has come to have a variety of specialized meanings in various contexts as shown below, which indicate that beneath a certain low level a quantity is regarded as trivial, and treated commensurately.