off the shelf
1 of 2phrase
: available from stock : not made to order
off the shelf equipment
: available as a stock item : not specially designed or custom-made
off-the-shelf software
Examples of off the shelf in a Sentence
Adjective
she chose to have her computer designed to her specifications rather than buying an off-the-shelf machine
Recent Examples on the Web
Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
The launcher uses commercial off-the-shelf materials and is designed to be flexible.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Famously, much of Ukraine’s early drone arsenal was made up of off-the-shelf, hobbyist drones purchased online.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
Massively outgunned at the start of the war, Kyiv's forces used off-the-shelf first-person view (FPV) drones, which use cameras to home in on targets and drop simple munitions on Russian tanks and armored vehicles — with stunning success.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off the shelf
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Adjective
After all, Charles and Ray had based both furniture and residential designs on a scalable grid system, with modularity and off-the-shelf components in mind.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
The launcher uses commercial off-the-shelf materials and is designed to be flexible.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Famously, much of Ukraine’s early drone arsenal was made up of off-the-shelf, hobbyist drones purchased online.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
Massively outgunned at the start of the war, Kyiv's forces used off-the-shelf first-person view (FPV) drones, which use cameras to home in on targets and drop simple munitions on Russian tanks and armored vehicles — with stunning success.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off the shelf
Cite this Entry
“Off the shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off%20the%20shelf. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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