generation

noun

gen·er·a·tion ˌje-nə-ˈrā-shən

Synonyms of generation next

: a body of living beings constituting a single step in the line of descent from an ancestor

: a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously

the younger generation

: a group of individuals having contemporaneously a status (such as that of students in a school) which each one holds only for a limited period

: a type or class of objects usually developed from an earlier type

first of the … new generation of powerful supersonic fighters—

Kenneth Koyen

: the action or process of producing offspring : procreation

: the process of coming or bringing into being

generation of income

: origination by a generating process : production

especially : formation of a geometric figure by motion of another

: the average span of time between the birth of parents and that of their offspring

generational

ˌje-nə-ˈrā-sh(ə-)nəl

adjective

generationally

ˌje-nə-ˈrā-sh(ə-)nə-lē

adverb

Examples of generation in a Sentence

She was worshipped by a generation of moviegoers. He was a hero to generations of students. We need to preserve these resources for future generations. His books are popular among members of the younger generation. That family has lived in the same house for four generations. The house has been passed down in the family from generation to generation. He has held that position for a generation. No one dreamed that such things would be possible a generation ago. The company claims to be developing the next generation of portable computers. See More

Recent Examples on the Web The company also laid off about 18 percent of its workforce last month to help bring the next generation of ships into service. —

Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2023 Within days of Russia invading Ukraine in February 2022, setting off Europe’s biggest land war in generations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared on Facebook, telling his soldiers to surrender. —

Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2023 More than ever, the three women are grappling with how to pass down Juma’s traditions to the next generations. —

Fabiano Maisonnave, Teresa De Miguel, and André Penner, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2023 There’s a reason society has, for generations, created an elaborate ruse to trick children into writing wish lists for Christmas. —

Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2023 Questionnaires from doctors routinely ask for generations of family medical history. —

Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2023 If younger generations regarded Guatemala’s old Cold War paradigm as irrelevant, Méndez Ruiz didn’t. —

Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2023 King Charles is standing up for the environment on behalf of future generations, including his grandchildren. —

Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 1 Dec. 2023 And when these conflicts arose, a lot of it was left unresolved and without consensus despite multiple generations providing opinions. —

Sharneé Carrington, Parents, 1 Dec. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'generation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English generacioun "procreation, development, offspring, lineage," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French generacion, borrowed from Late Latin generātiōn-, generātiō, going back to Latin, "procreation," from generāre "to bring into being, generate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of generation was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century