What does generator mean?
A generator is most commonly a machine that produces electrical power, especially as a backup or industrial power source. It does not create energy: a typical generator converts mechanical motion, produced by an engine, turbine, or other prime mover, into electricity. The word can also describe any device or program that systematically produces something, such as a code generator or a mathematical generator, and it may refer more broadly to a person who generates ideas, interest, or revenue. These senses share an idea of production, although the ordinary electrical sense is by far the most familiar. In technical writing, the word is precise and neutral; the choice between it and related terms such as alternator, dynamo, or power plant depends on the machine, its energy source, and whether a whole facility is meant. The term is therefore useful for both everyday objects and specialized systems whose central function is to produce something on demand.
nounA generator is a machine, device, or person that generates something; most commonly, it is a machine that converts mechanical or other energy into electrical power.
- A machine that produces electrical power, commonly from mechanical motion.
- A device or computer program that produces code, data, or other output.
- A person who generates something, such as ideas, interest, or revenue.
"When the grid failed, the hospital's backup generator kept the critical systems running."
"The wind farm's generators convert the movement of air into electricity."
"The developer used a code generator to create the repeated interface components."
The plural is regular and is used for multiple generators or multiple people who generate something.
"The technicians tested all three generators before the storm arrived."
A generator creates no energy—it transforms one form into another.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does generator come from?
English borrowed generate from Latin generare, meaning “to produce” or “beget,” from genus, meaning “kind” or “origin,” a root cognate with Greek genos, meaning “kind” or “race.” The noun generator follows the Latin agent-noun pattern and originally referred to a producer or begetter before being applied to a machine that produces electricity.
How generator is actually used
The word is standard and neutral in general and technical writing. Its final -r is silent in non-rhotic British English.
Easily confused with generator
An alternator is specifically a generator that produces alternating current, while generator is the broader term for any device that generates electrical power.