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

"We're not so stuck in our ways," she said of millennial voters.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

A quick stroll upstream, a group of DJs unaffiliated with the family-friendly festival hosted a day party aimed at Gen Z and millennial attendees, perched on one of the channel’s outcrops.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

"Hacks," the tale of a stand-up comedian trying to revive her career and the dysfunctional millennial assistant who helps her, leads the way with 24 nominations.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

It aligns with New York Fed data that suggest Gen Z and millennial borrowers regularly face higher rejection rates for products like mortgages when compared to their older counterparts.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 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

Spotify has reported a surge of interest in audiobook translations of "The Odyssey", with Gen Z and millennials leading the demand.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Like many millennials, I grew up at the peak of the American abstinence education movement and the American evangelical obsession with virginity.

From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026

About three-quarters of new Platinum and Gold cardholders are either millennials or members of Generation Z, according to the company.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Listening figures on Spotify have risen by about 680% since the film's release on Friday, Variety reported, external - with more than 80% of the listeners being Gen Z or millennials.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 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