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

With the show now having cultivated a devoted fan base, including a wide contingent of Gen Z viewers, the show’s creators have gotten used to receiving plenty of feedback. —Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025

And, says Donahue, Gen Z also spent formative years during the pandemic, removed from in-person interactions and relying on smartphones and social media for connectivity, so AI therapy would seem like a natural progression. —Fiorella Valdesolo, Vogue, 10 June 2025

As a Millennial what’s your take on Gen Z’s excessive use of exclamation points? —Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 9 June 2025

Today’s talent, particularly Gen Z, set to make up 30% of the global workforce by 2030, is reshaping the meaning of work, prioritizing purpose over profit—whether through societal impact, ethics, innovation or personal growth. —Sanjay Menon, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

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