shelf life

noun

: the period of time during which a material may be stored and remain suitable for use

broadly : the period of time during which something lasts or remains popular

Examples of shelf life in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, plastic wrapping extends a cucumber’s shelf life from a few days to several weeks, significantly reducing food waste. —Jason Phillips, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025

Baked goods While pink and red-colored cupcakes, brownies and other baked treats are festive and delicious, DeCicco said some red velvet cake mixes include preservatives to extend shelf life, as well as red dye. —Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2025

Ultra-processed: These foods are processed but contain additional ingredients like artificial colors, flavors, additives, and preservatives for texture and shelf life. —Korin Miller, Health, 7 Feb. 2025

Sometimes books go extinct because of the short shelf life of papyrus. —Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shelf life

• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• loosestrife
• midlife
• midwife
• nightlife
• penknife
• wildlife
• afterlife

Kids Definition

shelf life

noun

: the period of time something may be stored and still be good enough to use

Medical Definition

shelf life

noun

ˈshelf-ˌ 

: the period of time during which a material (as a food or drug) may be stored and remain suitable for use