off-the-shelf

[ awf-thuh-shelf, of- ]

adjective
  1. readily available from merchandise in stock.

  2. made according to a standardized format; not developed for specialized or individual needs; ready-made: off-the-shelf computer programs.

Origin of off-the-shelf

1
First recorded in 1945–50

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use off-the-shelf in a sentence

  • He knew where you could get plans for the robotics, and off-the-shelf motors and sensors.

    Makers | Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for off the shelf

off the shelf

adverb
  1. from stock and readily available: you can have this model off the shelf

adjective(off-the-shelf when prenominal)
  1. of or relating to a product that is readily available: an off-the-shelf model

  2. of or denoting a company that has been registered with the Registrar of Companies for the sole purpose of being sold

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with off-the-shelf

off-the-shelf

Ready-made, available from merchandise or in stock, as opposed to a special order. For example, Sometimes you can get a better discount by buying an appliance off the shelf. [First half of 1900s] Also see off the rack; on the shelf.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.