generation

noun

Definition of generationnext
1
as in production
the act or instance of producing something Our economy relies on the generation of new ideas. The organization has turned its focus toward the generation of solar energy.

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in variety
a group or class of things that are developed from an earlier type The automaker is set to release the newest generation of electric vehicles.

Related Words
3
as in year
the length of time between the birth of parents and the birth of their children She has been at the job for a generation, and is seen as a motherly figure to her younger coworkers.

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of generation Fans were also drawn by what could be the final World Cup appearances of a generation’s biggest stars, including Argentina’s Lionel Messi and his long-time Portuguese rival Cristiano Ronaldo. — Reuters, NBC news, 22 July 2026 Both moves would have seemed unusual for a Republican administration a generation ago. — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Like the previous generation, the Galaxy Watch 9 will come with Google’s Gemini on board to respond to your voice queries. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026 Still, that’s a light lift for power generation, according to Maile Resta. — Mark Dee july 22, Idaho Statesman, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for generation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for generation
  1. production
  2. variety
  3. year
  4. creation
  5. category
  6. era
  7. development
  8. section
Noun
  • By late May, Iran had restarted drone production and was replacing missile sites and launchers destroyed earlier in the war, sources told CNN.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Jaen city and surrounding Olive groves and trees, Jaen is known as the Olive Oil capital producing around 25% of global supply and over half of Spain's olive oil production.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 17 July 2026
Definition of production
Noun
  • Instead of choosing one flavor of pre-packaged candy, Swedish supermarkets and candy stores have a variety of bins full of sweets for shoppers to pluck from.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026
  • Today, some bright spots aside, the Art Deco District’s historic commercial spine is a drab length of vacant and unkempt storefronts, smoke shops, liquor stores, fast-food outlets, cheap T-shirt emporia and other varieties of tourist trap.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Definition of variety
Noun
  • Earlier this month, a drone struck a truck belonging to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) carrying 50 tons of relief supplies for displaced families — the second such incident involving a UNHCR aid truck this year, according to the agency.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Despite the cautions, the 39-year-old South Fulton mom had the rare distinction among new parents of getting a full nights rest soon after her son, Asher, was born.
    — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of year
Noun
  • Any agreement to give Saudi Arabia access to nuclear technology could prove controversial, both in the US and across the Middle East, since the ability to enrich nuclear fuel could, in theory, eventually lead to the creation of nuclear weapons.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • Further, such a framing of the epic seems to echo its actual creation, in that the poem is Iron Age Greek culture’s remembrance of the Mycenae hundreds of years after a major civilizational collapse.
    — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of creation
Noun
  • For 60 years, corporate America has been asked to count its employees by demographic category.
    — Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Alvarez homered for the third time in the series and leads the majors in that category.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of category
Noun
  • Last December, Berman outdid himself, landing $867 million in financing from a group of lenders that include Apollo Global and JPMorgan Chase to convert a 1960s-era office building at 111 Wall Street.
    — Andrew Rice, Curbed, 23 July 2026
  • Fans nostalgic for that era and the group’s distinct soulful sound have been waiting for new music ever since.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026
Definition of era
Noun
  • The development will also include a nine-story tower with a four story garage, and four stories of office space, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
    — Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026
  • Preservationists, meanwhile, worried about the impact of taller new development on Washington Avenue’s historic scale, typically running to one or two stories in most places.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Definition of development
Noun
  • Alberto Briseno, a section chief for ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, wrote in a declaration that ICE personnel deleted the file after it was discovered and it was not used for law enforcement purposes.
    — Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 17 July 2026
  • There was disappointment among sections of the fanbase that Neave was not given more of an opportunity over the run-in, especially given how Woltemade and Wissa struggled.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of section

Browse Nearby Words

generating
generation
generations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Generation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/generation. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on generation

Nglish: Translation of generation for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All