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
Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Seventy-seven years ago, famed architects and furniture designers Ray and Charles Eames, came up with a modernist blueprint for a system composed of inexpensive and off-the-shelf materials from industrial and commercial catalogs that could be easily assembled.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Another approach involves what are called generalized or off-the-shelf vaccines, that are not tailored to each individual patient.
—Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
To meet the brief, the Eameses traded traditional masonry for a purely industrial logic, utilizing a standardized steel chassis and off-the-shelf glass inserts in their design.
—Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off the shelf
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Adjective
These small, cheap weapons—costing as little as $300 each and built with off-the-shelf components—have wounded soldiers and killed at least one Israeli military personnel, demonstrating a significant gap in Israel’s air defense.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Seventy-seven years ago, famed architects and furniture designers Ray and Charles Eames, came up with a modernist blueprint for a system composed of inexpensive and off-the-shelf materials from industrial and commercial catalogs that could be easily assembled.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Another approach involves what are called generalized or off-the-shelf vaccines, that are not tailored to each individual patient.
—Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
To meet the brief, the Eameses traded traditional masonry for a purely industrial logic, utilizing a standardized steel chassis and off-the-shelf glass inserts in their design.
—Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 14 Apr. 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 May. 2026.
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