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

Michelle Obama recently wore a similar pale blue polish, Emily Blunt went lavender, and Taylor Swift got a jumpstart on the season in an equally chilly millennial mint shade. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 20 July 2026

Wells Fargo's February 2025 research report showed that 71% of women invest in the stock market, with Gen Z and millennial women investing at even higher rates. — Julie Castro Abrams, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Noun

Older millennials have become the highest-earning, biggest-spending buyer segment in the housing market, with median household income of $132,700, largely leveraging home equity to trade up rather than buying for the first time. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 July 2026

The increase in gray divorces might start to plateau when millennials – who got married under very different circumstances and social attitudes than their predecessors – start aging into retirement, said Park. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 26 July 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

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