Generation X

American  

[jen-uh-rey-shuhn eks] / ˈdʒɛn əˈreɪ ʃən ˈɛks /

Also GenX, Gen-X

noun

1. the generation born between about 1966 and 1980.

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Generation X British  

noun

1. members of the generation of people born between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s who are highly educated and underemployed, reject consumer culture, and have little hope for the future

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Other Word Forms

• Generation Xer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Generation X

First recorded in 1990–95; named after the novel of the same name by Douglas Coupland (born 1961), German-born Canadian artist and novelist

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Generation X

Fidelity found that 1 in 5 Americans have never considered healthcare needs in retirement, with the figure rising to 1 in 4 among Generation X respondents.

From MarketWatch ● May 30, 2026

When financial adviser Liz Windisch sits down with Generation X clients, she finds they consistently seek safety in cash — and they’re passing that conservative instinct down to their children.

From MarketWatch ● May 29, 2026

In the doc you talk about how Generation X was born out of a sense that young people had no future in the U.K.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026

Generation X, like the variable x, might stand for anything or nothing at all.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026

An even worse cliche, Generation X, is already degenerating. get nowhere fast.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner