shelf life

noun

: the period of time during which a material may be stored and remain suitable for use

broadly : the period of time during which something lasts or remains popular

Examples of shelf life in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its products have a 12-month shelf life and don’t require refrigeration. —Gary Stern, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Taylor McClelland Newman, M.S., R.D., of Nourished by Taylor Compared to other leafy green vegetables like lettuce, cabbage has an extremely long shelf life. —Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Aug. 2025

But some dry-erase markers have a longer shelf life than others. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025

Sunscreen Sunscreen that's exposed to high temperatures can shorten its shelf life, Geico said, citing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 28 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shelf life

• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• loosestrife
• midlife
• midwife
• nightlife
• penknife
• wildlife
• afterlife

Kids Definition

shelf life

noun

: the period of time something may be stored and still be good enough to use

Medical Definition

shelf life

noun

ˈshelf-ˌ 

: the period of time during which a material (as a food or drug) may be stored and remain suitable for use