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

Real-World Example A Gen X manager might commit to learning generative AI tools to improve team efficiency, while a Millennial professional could invest in leadership training to prepare for advancement. —Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

But that still means half of all Gen X accounts had less than that amount. —Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025

Baby Boomers hold an average of about $257,000, while Gen X workers are closer to $205,000. —Hillary Stalker, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025

Meanwhile, just 25% of graduates in previous years, such as their millennial and Gen X predecessors, struggled to land work after college. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Gen X

• becks
• checks
• czechs
• decks
• dex
• ex
• flecks
• flex
• hex
• lex
• necks
• pecks