millennial

American  

[mi-len-ee-uhl] / mɪˈlɛn i əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a millennium or the millennium.

2. worthy or suggestive of the millennium.

3. (often initial capital letter) noting or relating to the generation born in the 1980s or 1990s, especially in the U.S.

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noun

• millennials
  plural

1. (often initial capital letter) a person born in the 1980s or 1990s, especially in the U.S.; a member of Generation Y.

   Millennials are facing a deep economic crisis.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• millennially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• millennials
  plural

Etymology

Origin of millennial

First recorded in 1655–65; millenni(um) + -al ¹

Explanation

Anything millennial has something to do with a span of a thousand years. If you're an English history buff, you might mark your calendar to celebrate the millennial anniversary of the 11th-century Norman Conquest — which will occur in 2066. Save the date! It sounds like "million," but millennial goes back to the Latin mille, or "thousand." It originally meant "pertaining to a period of 1,000 years," or "pertaining to a millennium." We still use it this way, referring to the 21st century and the new millennium: "The art museum put on a millennial show in 2000." It's most commonly used for the generation of people born between the early 1980s and about 2000: "Oh, those millennials and their avocado toast."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

millennial millennials

The trend is partly driven by majorities of millennial and Gen Z voters choosing to be unaffiliated with either party, according to Gallup research.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

In early 2025, Run For Something, an organization that recruits and trains progressive millennial and Gen Z candidates for state and local office, launched an initiative that aims to get more renters elected.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

You may not like it, but this was like something from the peak era of performative millennial corporate synergy.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

KK Durante, co-founder of Boston brand Roe House, is noticing “sober-curious” millennial women are buying caviar as a treat in place of wine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Picture the millennial plane flying west, from the lowlands of the Beni to the heights of the Andes.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

“Do you often wake up tired?” perfectly toned millennials with titles such as “wellness professional” ask me from my screen.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

Another thing to think about is changing demographics, especially with Gen Z and millennials in a phase where they may be trying to purchase homes, said Vanguard’s Huang.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

"This would mean people who are working hard now - the millennials - when they retire would have a very poor pension," he told the Today programme.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

The first runs of these shows probably missed Gen Z. Not millennials, sadly.

From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026

The “Beef” quartet — Mulligan and Oscar Isaac playing striving, bickering millennials, Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeney as their younger, equally desperate counterparts — split their submissions between lead and supporting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026