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

Popular among Gen Z, the practice combines time spent in direct sunlight with a variety of tanning products like oils, bronzers and gels. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 5 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 breathable cotton tank features spaghetti straps and a comfy scoop neck that can be layered under linen button-downs, worn on its own, or styled over a T-shirt this summer (Gen Z loves a double-layered look). — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 3 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