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

Pinterest users are searching for ways to tap into their inner golden goddess as well, particularly Gen X and Boomers. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2024

The intrigue: Sota's soft launch was especially popular among Gen Z teens and Gen X moms, Taylor said. —Torey Van Oot, Axios, 2 Dec. 2024

Hello Kitty continues to delight every generation, and this collaboration pairs Gen X and Millennial nostalgic childhood memories in one. —Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 2 Dec. 2024

Brown says that interest in soft skills among this group has become a top priority as more and more millennial and Gen X workers become middle managers who lead teams. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above