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

Gen Z is already stepping away from alcohol. —Charles Trepany, USA Today, 1 May 2026

Similarly, as digital natives, Gen Z has had much more access to information about finances, says Combs, and are orienting their romantic life accordingly. —Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 1 May 2026

However, baseball is rising in popularity, particularly among Gen Z, which suggests past team valuations are low relative to current market trends. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

In many ways, Gen Z’s approach to made-to-measure mirrors their broader shopping habits. —Jalil Johnson, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Gen Z

• bens
• cleanse
• dens
• gens
• glens
• hens
• jens
• pens
• tens
• wrens
• zens
• cheyennes