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

Of the 6 million small businesses in the U.S. with up to 100 employees — 4.5 million of which are owned by baby boomers or Generation X, Teamshares said.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026

And Generation X and millennials, in particular, she notes, might have more advantages than they realize when it comes to living a long and healthy retirement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2026

Generation X are those born between 1965 and 1980.

From MarketWatch • May 9, 2026

Generation X had the highest homeownership rate relative to their age, so when the housing bubble popped in 2008, it hit Gen X the hardest.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

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

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