generation

noun gen·er·a·tion \ ˌje-nə-ˈrā-shən \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Examples: generation in a Sentence

Definition of generation

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

b : a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously

the younger generation

c : 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

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

first of the … new generation of powerful supersonic fighters
—Kenneth Koyen

2 a : the action or process of producing offspring : procreation

b : the process of coming or bringing into being

generation of income

c : origination by a generating process : production; especially : formation of a geometric figure by motion of another

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

—

generational

play \ˌje-nə-ˈrā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

—

generationally

play \ˌje-nə-ˈrā-shnə-lē, shə-nᵊl-ē\ adverb

See generation defined for English-language learners

See generation defined for kids

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.

Recent Examples of generation from the Web

Now, another generation of his company will help reinvent the future again from its new home in Corktown.

— john gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit train station is city's biggest comeback moment yet," 15 June 2018
Other studies have also found the current generation of dads has shown an increase in warmth and willingness to be very hands-on with their children.

— belinda luscombe, Time, "Moms, Here’s How You Can Help Dads Bond With Your Babies," 13 June 2018
There’s an entire generation of young traders on Wall Street who haven’t experienced a rate hike scenario like this before.

— heather long, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: The Fed will likely raise interest rates today. But will it weigh in on Trump's trade war?," 13 June 2018
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for his reputable Apple rumors reporting, there will be a second generation, 5.8-inch iPhone X and a larger, 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus.

— madeline buxton, refinery29.com, "Everything You Need To Know About The New iPhone Rumors," 12 June 2018
Juanita Sellers Stone, pioneering African-American businesswoman, community leader, educator, and second-generation funeral home director, died May 30.

— nancy badertscher, ajc, "Juanita S. Stone, 89: Teacher, funeral director served community," 9 June 2018
Only when the second generation of the Honda Odyssey came out in 1998 did the minivan equation start to change.

— ed wallace, star-telegram, "The Future is Now," 8 June 2018
Both of these sets come with the second-generation PlayStation VR camera, which added HDR passthrough and built-in earphones.

— jeff dunn, Ars Technica, "Dealmaster: Sony discounts a bunch of PlayStation 4 things ahead of E3," 8 June 2018
The AirPlay 2 supported products for Sonos include the new Beam, the Sonos One, the Playbase and the second generation of the Play:5.

— zack ruskin, Billboard, "Sonos Integrating Siri, Alexa & More Virtual Assistants for Simultaneous Use With New Beam Smart Speaker," 6 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'generation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of generation

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite, plasticity

GENERATION Defined for English Language Learners

generation

noun

Definition of generation for English Language Learners

: a group of people born and living during the same time
: the people in a family born and living during the same time
: the average length of time between the birth of parents and the birth of their children