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store-bought

American

[stawr-bawt, stohr-] / ˈstɔrˈbɔt, ˈstoʊr- /

adjective

Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.

commercially made rather than homemade.

Etymology

Origin of store-bought

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

One of the youngest sweet tooths is Matilda, six, who helped her mum Jasmin Gelsana, 36, decorate a store-bought cake, and who happily admits: "I'm a good eater, not a baker".

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Matijevich prefers using homemade beef stock, but store-bought beef stock works just fine.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

Inside, Beshear was seated before an unlit fireplace, legs crossed, shirt collar unbuttoned, looking like the pleasantly unassuming Dad in a store-bought picture frame.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

Formula—real, store-bought formula—is, except in freak cases of contamination, a perfectly safe and good option for getting babies fed, right now.

From Slate • Jan. 20, 2026

The cape looks store-bought and expensive, as it has a silver clasp and the material is much heavier than what might be used to make a cheap Halloween costume.

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick

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