Dictionary.com

off-the-shelf

[ awf-thuh-shelf, of- ]
/ ˈɔf ðəˈʃɛlf, ˈɒf- /
Save This Word!

adjective
readily available from merchandise in stock.
made according to a standardized format; not developed for specialized or individual needs; ready-made: off-the-shelf computer programs.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of off-the-shelf

First recorded in 1945–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use off-the-shelf in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for off-the-shelf

off the shelf

adverb
from stock and readily availableyou can have this model off the shelf
adjective (off-the-shelf when prenominal)
of or relating to a product that is readily availablean off-the-shelf model
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.
FEEDBACK