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

Here’s a look at more stories from CNBC’s Financial Advisor Council: Op-ed: Avoid those vacation photo-ops to actually enjoy the moment Op-ed: How Gen X can transform worrying about finances to flourishing Op-ed: Finding a good caregiver can be daunting. —Winnie Sun, CNBC, 19 July 2024

The biggest increases in both Gen X men and women are expected to be in thyroid cancer diagnoses, followed by kidney cancer and rectal cancer. —Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 18 July 2024

While the archetypal Gen X novel may belong to American Psychos Who Don’t Talk About Fight Club — angry men, basically — the millennial novel is all about the sad, bitter ladies. —Annie Berke, Washington Post, 16 July 2024

The top three car brands for baby boomers, Gen X and millennials are Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford. —Chesnie Wardell, Journal Sentinel, 12 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above