Gen X

noun

ˈjen-ˈeks 

: generation x

Gen X managed to stretch adolescence beyond all previous limits: Its members started becoming adults earlier and finished becoming adults later.

—Jean M. Twenge

—often used before another noun

a Gen X celebrity

—often hyphenated in such use

… 'The Blair Witch Project,' a stealth blockbuster with clever Internet marketing and so much Gen-X appeal that it's spooking Hollywood.

—Newsweek

Gen Xer

ˈjen-ˈek-sər 

noun

or Gen-Xer

plural Gen Xers or Gen-Xers

… only about 56 percent of high-school seniors in 2015 went out on dates; for Boomers and Gen Xers, the number was about 85 percent.

—Jean M. Twenge

Like many Gen-Xers, I remember childhood as an uncomplicated time when the only thing you had to worry about was being home by dark.

—Bethany Young Hardy

Examples of Gen X in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Of the respondents, 23% were Gen Z, 53% were millennials, 20% were Gen X and four percent were baby boomers. —Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024

These sentiments resonate across generations —even Gen Z workers (the latest to join the workforce) believe the still-working Gen X and boomers will have an easier path to retirement, while Gen X and boomers say the same about older generations. —Eric Johnson, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024

Ryder’s iconic character Lydia Deetz — who defined quirky-goth Gen X cool with her jagged bangs and black humor — is now a mother with a job. —Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024

And the top goal overall for Gen Z and Millennials (55 percent) and Gen X and Boomers (54 percent) remains business longevity. —Kanika Talwar, WWD, 15 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above