Main Entry: gen·er·a·tion

Pronunciation: \ˌje-nə-ˈrā-shən\

Function: noun

Date: 14th century

1 a : a body of living beings constituting a single step in the line of descent from an ancestor b : a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously c : a group of individuals having contemporaneously a status (as that of students in a school) which each one holds only for a limited period d : a type or class of objects usually developed from an earlier type <first of the…new generation of powerful supersonic fighters — Kenneth Koyen>
2 a : the action or process of producing offspring : procreation b : the process of coming or bringing into being <generation of income> c : origination by a generating process : production; especially : formation of a geometric figure by motion of another
3 : the average span of time between the birth of parents and that of their offspring

— gen·er·a·tion·al \-shnəl, -shə-n^əl\ adjective

— gen·er·a·tion·al·ly \-shnə-lē, shə-n^əl-ē\ adverb