expiration date

noun

1

: the date after which something (such as a credit card) is no longer in effect

2

: the date after which a product (such as food or medicine) should not be sold because of an expected decline in quality or effectiveness

Examples of expiration date in a Sentence

Check the expiration date on the bottle to make sure the medicine is still good.

Recent Examples on the Web

This product comes in a 1-count and has an expiration date of June 2027. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026

Investigators from the district attorney’s offices found that the drug store sold expired over-the-counter items including sunscreen, hand sanitizer and aspirin, prosecutors said, adding that the effectiveness of these products is sometimes reduced after their expiration date. —Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026

Salsa and cooked noodles past their expiration date were found in the cooler. —Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026

The job of running almost any big-league team is often not a long-term endeavor, with an expiration date always looming. —Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for expiration date

• borosilicate
• decontaminate
• deoxycholate
• deteriorate
• differentiate
• diisocyanate
• dinoflagellate
• excommunicate
• incapacitate
• insubordinate
• intercorporate
• interpenetrate

Kids Definition

expiration date

noun

1

: the date on which something (as a credit card) is no longer of use

2

: the last date on which a product (as food or medicine) can be safely used