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

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

• millennially adverb

Etymology

Origin of millennial

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

Example Sentences

In fact, most of millennial feminism was pretty great.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

Later, the "rose gold" variant of the iPhone 6S in 2015, spawned many copycats, surfing a years-long trend dubbed "millennial pink".

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

A Jeremiah figure among millennial and Gen X parents for his warnings of impending social media doom and ruin, Haidt didn’t mince words when forecasting the impact of the recent court cases.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

Despite my penchant for outer space films and my affinity for Gosling’s work, the millennial cringe of it all left a bitter taste in my mouth.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

They formed a group that was prepared to receive the millennial knowledge Nicolas had acquired in the East.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende