room temperature

American  

[room tem-per-uh-cher, -choor, -pruh-, -per-cher, room] / ˈrum ˈtɛm pər ə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər, -prə-, -pər tʃər, ˈrʊm /

noun

room temperatures plural

1. a temperature at which food, drink, medicine, etc., is neither cooled nor heated.

   Unopened, our sauces can be stored at room temperature for months, but opened jars must be refrigerated.

   The cheeses are best served at room temperature.

2. any indoor temperature that falls within a range considered comfortable for human occupancy.

   We tested the strength of the bond at room temperature and at 140°F.

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room temperature British  

noun

1. the normal temperature of a living room, usually taken as being around 20°C

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• room temperatures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of room temperature

First recorded in 1845–50

Example Sentences

That engrossing yourself in every meticulous step — from measuring out your own leavening agents to bringing your butter and eggs to room temperature — is what qualifies as real baking.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026

But when it comes to her core product, selling candy has a number of benefits, such as it having a long shelf life, and being able to sit at room temperature.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

However, the new material appears to display this behavior at room temperature.

From Science Daily • May 30, 2026

His team developed a hybrid fruit, named Arka Sahan, which can survive for a week at room temperature and has fewer seeds and more pulp.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

We watched him scribble notes into his lab book and organize the materials, and within five minutes, we had a hot magnet, a cold magnet, and a magnet at room temperature.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller