generation x
/ˌdʒɛnəˌɹeɪʃən ˈɛks/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.67 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
A generation of people whose future is uncertain; a lost generation.
Australian usage; New Zealand usage; British usage; American usage
name
The generation of people born after the baby boom that followed World War II, especially those born from 1965 to 1980, sometimes characterized as cynical, disaffected, lacking direction in life, and unwilling to take part fully in society.
Australian usage; New Zealand usage; British usage; American usage
name
Alternative letter-case form of Generation X.
Example Sentences
- "When historians evaluate the contribution of Generation X one theme will recur over and over again, and that is the rage and revulsion handed from Father to Son."
- "Any self-respecting Generation Xer […] might notice that Mr. [Douglas] Coupland's death knell for Generation X coincides with the promotion of his latest book, “Microserfs” (HarperCollins)"
- "That was just some anecdata for you: in generation X, we never felt as though we were drinking more than our parents, because they drank a hell of a lot, and were relatively free of ancillary taboos, such as drink-driving."
Etymology
Compound of generation + X (used to represent an unknown quantity or unknown value). Sense 2 (“the post-baby boom generation”) was popularized by the novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture (1991) by the Canadian author and artist Douglas Coupland (born 1961).
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌdʒɛnəˌɹeɪʃən ˈɛks/
- British English: /ˌdʒɛnəɹeɪʃn̩ ˈɛks/
Usage
- Australian usage
- New Zealand usage
- British usage
- American usage