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 food bank relies heavily on donations, most of which are not fresh foods due to their short shelf life. —Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Mar. 2025

However, this brand of muscular, aggressive leadership has a short shelf life in the corporate world—especially in complex, global organizations. Consider Microsoft. —Greg Orme, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

Motorola is also promising two Android OS upgrades for the first time on a Moto G, giving these budget phones a slightly longer shelf life. —Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 27 Feb. 2025

These foods go through multiple processing steps, from stripping away nutrients to mixing in sweeteners, fats, salt, artificial flavors, and emulsifiers to alter taste, texture and shelf life. —Matthew Kadey, Outside Online, 8 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