shelf life

American  

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.

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shelf life British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of shelf life

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Still, that distinction may have a shorter shelf life than executives are letting on.

From Barron's

The streaming platform values one-off, big impact fights that may have little shelf life but burn bright in the moment.

From BBC

“I think it’s inevitable that many of these funds are going to have a shorter shelf life than products we’ve seen in the past,” said Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi.

From The Wall Street Journal

They also intend to further explore ways to extend the shelf life of stored blood.

From Science Daily

He said he expects other food items with longer shelf life, such as rice and cornmeal, to follow suit.

From The Wall Street Journal