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

The sandwiches have a 12-month shelf life and may still be in circulation. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025

Morris’ experience is one that isn’t often shown in an age where the shelf life for a viral moment continues to get smaller and smaller. —Sara Belcher, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025

The result supports the claim that content on television can have a stronger shelf life and become a greater part of the social and cultural dialog when available on the streaming giant. —Brad Adgate, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

Butter should be refrigerated to stay fresh and prevent spoiling, while ghee has a longer shelf life and can be kept at room temperature for several weeks. —Allison Herries, Verywell Health, 2 Apr. 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