What does generation mean?
Generation most often refers to a cohort of people born at roughly the same time and shaped by shared historical circumstances. In this sense, it can describe a family relationship, a social group, or a broad period of cultural development, as in the idea that each generation inherits a different world from the one before it. Generation also means the production or creation of something, particularly in technical, scientific, or industrial contexts. A further meaning refers to one stage in a sequence, such as a generation of mobile phones or an earlier generation of software. The word is formal but widely used and often emphasizes continuity, inheritance, and change over time. It is especially useful when discussing how people, technologies, or ideas develop across successive stages. Depending on context, it can suggest conflict between age groups, as with the generation gap, or continuity between them. It may also describe the descendants of a particular person or group, and in biology it can refer to a stage in reproduction or the organisms belonging to one stage of a life cycle.
nounA generation is a group of people born and living at about the same time, especially one regarded as sharing a common outlook or social identity. It can also refer to the act of producing something or to a stage in a process or sequence.
- A group of people born and living at about the same time, especially one regarded as sharing a common outlook or social identity.
- The act of producing or creating something.
- A stage in a process, sequence, or system of development.
"Each generation inherits the achievements and challenges of those who came before it."
"Young people from every generation are learning to adapt to rapid technological change."
"The generation of new medicines requires extensive laboratory research and clinical testing."
Used for multiple cohorts, successive stages, or repeated acts of production.
"Several generations of the family have lived in the same town."
Generation began with an act of production: Latin generare meant “to produce or beget,” before the word came to stand for the people born together.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does generation come from?
The English noun dates from Middle English and came through Old French generation, a borrowing of Latin generatio, meaning “generation” or “production.” Latin generatio was formed from generare, “to produce or beget,” which is associated with genus, meaning “kind, birth, or descent.” The same root underlies related English words such as generic, general, generous, and genius.
Related word forms
How generation is actually used
The collective sense is usually countable and can be singular or plural. In the social sense, the word often carries connotations of shared history, values, or experience, although these associations depend on context.