Generation X

[ jen-uh-rey-shuhn eks ]

/ ˈdʒɛn əˈreɪ ʃən ˈɛks /

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See synonyms for Generation X on Thesaurus.com

noun

the generation born between about 1966 and 1980.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Also Gen X, Gen·X, Gen-X .

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)

Words nearby Generation X

generation, Generation A, Generation C, generation gap, Generation Jones, Generation X, Generation XL, Generation Y, Generation Z, generative, generative cell

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Generation X in a sentence

I watched SNL—the Eddie Murphy generation—and also SCTV with Rick Moranis.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A place that has multiplied success for generation after generation of its children.
Mario Cuomo, Always Moving Us Toward the Light|Mike Barnicle|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This was a guy from the hip-hop generation and with a perspective that was inextricably linked to that generation.
Remembering ESPN’s Sly, Cocky, and Cool Anchor Stuart Scott|Stereo Williams|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Or will we simply see more senseless bloodshed and another generation of Palestinians defer their dreams of a homeland?
In the Middle East, the Two-State Solution Is Dead|Dean Obeidallah|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Changing public opinion, of course, will be the work of a generation or maybe two, but kudos to Stewart for getting it started.
The Democrats’ Black Hole—and What They Can Do About It|Michael Tomasky|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He thought they were now in touch with our troops at "X" but that they had been through some hard fighting to get there.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
W was a Watchman, and guarded the door; X was expensive, and so became poor.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
The memory of him shall not depart away, and his name shall be in request from generation to generation.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Their bodies are buried in peace, and their name liveth unto generation and generation.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
"All right, Pater," you would say, and leave the matter in the hands of the elder generation.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Generation X

Generation X

noun

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

Derived forms of Generation X

Generation Xer, noun

Word Origin for Generation X

C20: from the novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture by Douglas Coupland

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012