: 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 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In comparison, only 38 percent of millennials aged 29 to 44 and 34 percent of Gen X respondents aged 45 to 58 said the same. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025 Mariah remix is making — stamps it to an era of millennials and Gen X–ers pining for bygone culture, while zoomers discover and distort their parents’ favorites. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025 The actor delivered a near-spitting image performance, earning him an Oscar nomination and the adoration of Gen X moms in addition to his already large Gen Z fan following. Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025 Meanwhile, Gen X and Baby Boomers show a stronger inclination toward full transparency—71 percent of Baby Boomers share all their passwords with their partner. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Gen X

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Gen X was in 1992

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gen X.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gen%20X. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!