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

The sample included representation across four generations: Baby Boomers (4 percent), Gen X (23 percent), Millennials (55 percent), and Gen Z (18 percent). —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025

And, about one in three Gen Z parents view reading as a subject to learn compared to one in five Gen X parents. —Sherri Gordon, Parents, 14 May 2025

Image Just like the United States, China is a giant country full of disparities: coastal vs. inland, north vs. south, urban vs. rural, rich vs. poor, state-owned vs. private sector, Gen X vs. Gen Z. —Li Yuan, New York Times, 13 May 2025

Unlike Baby Boomers who often see performance reviews as formal evaluation tools, or Gen X who value autonomy in feedback, Gen Z craves frequent, personalized guidance focused on growth rather than judgment. —Tracy Lawrence, Forbes.com, 13 May 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