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

This sentiment was shared by 36 percent of Gen Z, 37 percent of Millennials, 37 percent of Gen X and 29 percent of Baby Boomers. —Alexandra Pastore, Footwear News, 5 May 2025

But, look, some of the coolest people to ever grace the planet are Gen X: Chloë Sevigny, Alexander McQueen, Winona Ryder, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss. —Daisy Jones, Vogue, 3 May 2025

Except for the Silent Generation, at least half of every age group—including baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z—see Trump as a threat to democracy. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

According to the latest Salary Negotiation and Expectations survey from Resume Genius, 55% of Gen Z employees negotiated their salary compared to 48% of Millennials and 42% of both Gen X and Baby Boomers. —Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 1 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