Synonyms

shelf life

American

noun

the term or period during which a stored commodity remains effective, useful, or suitable for consumption.

Many medicines have a very short shelf life.

shelf life British

noun

the length of time a packaged food, chemical, etc, will last without deteriorating

"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

Etymology

Origin of shelf life

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

shelf life

Twinkies’ shelf life is considered a wonder of food science.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Original topical programming that does not have a shelf life is challenging to sustain on a streaming service.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

“The giants of the marketplace have processed our food to death to extend shelf life and expand distribution,” he said in a 2006 interview.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Food preservatives are widely used in industrially processed foods to extend shelf life and maintain product quality.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026

My skin and bones will not age—my Bio Gel will simply reach the end of its shelf life and cease to operate.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023