Gen Z

noun

ˈjen-ˈzē 

: generation z

Gen Z is as nuanced and complex as every generation before them … In fact, they are considered to be the most diverse and multicultural generation ever.

—Andrew Kelly and Guy Cierzan

Gen Z is incredibly media savvy, so the challenge for marketers is trying to connect with an audience that already knows every marketing trick in the book.

—Chirag Kulkarni

—often used before another noun

Gen Z activists are using social media to start movements and gather the momentum they need to make positive changes in the world.

—Savanna Smith

—often hyphenated in such use

Gen-Z students/consumers

Gen Zer

ˈjen-ˈzē-ər 

noun

or Gen-Zer

plural Gen Zers or Gen-Zers

… even the oldest Gen Zer was just a tween when the iPhone was released in 2007.

—Ryan Kelly

Though many tend to lump them together, millennials and Gen Zers are two very different cohorts.

—Chad Recchia

Examples of Gen Z in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Identify When Employees Are Ready For Servant Leaders As millennials and Gen Z continue to fill the ranks of the workforce, their perceptions and expectations of leadership are shifting according to the Deloitte Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. —Anjali Chaudhry, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024

Today’s Instagrammer no longer chooses one representative photo at a time, creating a grid of images just so; instead, users, especially those belonging to Gen Z, are putting up faux-messy but actually carefully selected compendia showcasing the detritus of their lives. —Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2024

Like Astrid and Lydia before her, Gen Z is being reeducated via horror-movie camp humor. —Armond White, National Review, 11 Sep. 2024

Kumar believes that there should be greater support for organizations that are working on speaking to Gen Z voters. —Solcyré Burga, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above