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

As Gen Z, the cohort born between 1997 and 2012, emerges as a major spender on group travel and experiences, more young people are fronting costs for friends. — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 7 July 2026

Gen Z is setting trends, shaping culture, and shopping differently than any previous generation. — Vinay Kuruvila, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Gen Z’s homeownership rate is already tracking ahead of Millennials at the same age — buying smaller homes in lower-cost metros, adapting, finding ways in. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 July 2026

The Gen Z–focused retailer said the jean’s performance exceeded expectations, prompting Pacsun to expand production and introduce additional washes. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 6 July 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