shelf life

noun

1. 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

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shelf life¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

The current Covid-19 vaccines available do have a limited shelf life, so avoiding waste is important — better to get it in someone’s arm than to throw it out.

From Vox

For example, the HotHands warmers we listed above have a shelf life of three to four years.

From Popular-Science

Speed is critical, because these vaccines need to be administered within the approved shelf life of six months.

From MIT Technology Review

Once its short shelf life of 12 hours is over, it has to be tossed.

From MIT Technology Review

Demand for packaged foods with long shelf lives has surged as shuttered restaurants and the fear of contracting the virus forced shoppers into stocking their pantries and cooking at home more often.

From Washington Post

But others argue that its shelf life is longer than we might think.

From The Daily Beast

But done right, they can extend her shelf-life in a hyper-competitive industry that revolves around youthfulness.

From The Daily Beast

The new Twinkies carry an extended shelf life of 45 days, versus two weeks previously (no, they don't last forever).

From The Daily Beast

Even without any changes, most experts predict a much longer shelf life for Idol than the current media narrative predicts.

From The Daily Beast

Furthermore, pronouncements by Barack Obama have a notoriously short shelf life.

From The Daily Beast

Thus, a warhead loaded with the material has an indefinite shelf-life.

From Project Gutenberg