Generation X

American  

[jen-uh-ray-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

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

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

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

Generation X grew up with Jackson, whose mass audience introduction came by way of roles on “Good Times” and “Fame” in her teens.

From Salon ● Jan. 27, 2022

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

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