shelf life

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ˈshelf ˌlife, n. [countable* usually: singular] , pl. shelf lives. 

1. the period during which a stored item, such as food, remains safe to eat:
   a shelf life of only a few days.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

shelf′ life′, 

1. the term or period during which a stored commodity remains effective, useful, or suitable for consumption:
   Many medicines have a very short shelf life.
   Also called storage life. 

• 1925–30

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

shelf life noun

1. the length of time a packaged food, chemical, etc, will last without deteriorating