millennial

1 of 2

adjective

mil·​len·​ni·​al mə-ˈle-nē-əl 

1

: of or relating to a millennium

This geopolitical specification of the millennium—this identification of the New Jerusalem with a particular place and people—was rare, even in a time of millennial fervor.

—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

2

: of, relating to , or belonging to the generation of people born in the 1980s or 1990s : of or relating to millennials

More than 60% of millennial voters support the birth control mandate.

—Katie McDonough

millennial

2 of 2

noun

: a person born in the 1980s or 1990s

—usually plural

Examples of millennial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The show follows Deborah’s complicated relationship with her protege Ava (Hannah Einbender), a millennial comedy writer who initially teams up with Deborah to freshen up her Las Vegas act before eventually becoming a close friend and collaborator. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026

Plus, Gosling and McAdams gave us the best MTV Movie Awards moment ever by re-creating their iconic cinematic kiss onstage, codifying this movie as a millennial touchstone. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

Noun

One 2024 survey found that almost a third of American adults regularly doomscroll—that is, swipe through endless social media feeds—and millennials and Gen Zers are even more likely to engage in this behavior. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2026

HelloFresh’s 2025-2026 State of Home Cooking report found millennials lead all generations in regular sit-down family dinners, with 76% doing so most or every day of the week. —Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1991, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing millennial

• multi-millennial

Rhymes for millennial

• biennial
• centennial
• decennial
• perennial
• quadrennial
• quinquennial
• triennial
• bicentennial
• sesquicentennial

Kids Definition

millennial

1 of 2 adjective

mil·​len·​ni·​al mə-ˈle-nē-əl 

: of or relating to a millennium

millennial

2 of 2 noun

: a person born in the 1980s or 1990s

—usually used in plural