: available as a stock item : not specially designed or custom-made
off-the-shelf software

Examples of off-the-shelf in a Sentence

she chose to have her computer designed to her specifications rather than buying an off-the-shelf machine
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The risk is real: Without a clear advantage over ubiquitous, off-the-shelf AI tools, these companies are unlikely to generate strong returns. Evan Renov, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 There is still enough time, barely, for a private group to work with scientists to develop instrumentation that could be added to an off-the-shelf spacecraft bus to get out to Apophis before its Earth encounter. ArsTechnica, 27 June 2025 The setup costs are kept low by using off-the-shelf products to avoid scaring off farmers with high upfront charges. Chris Stokel-Walker, Fortune, 26 June 2025 However, Sánchez said the policy would force Spain to purchase off-the-shelf equipment instead of cultivating its own industrial base, as recorded in his letter. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for off-the-shelf

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-the-shelf was in 1950

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-the-shelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-the-shelf. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!