What does "generation" mean?
The act of creating something or bringing something into being; production, creation.
Generation
/ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of creating something or bringing something into being; production, creation.
- Grammar: generation is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abiogenesis, aeon, age, age group.
- Useful contrasts: annihilation, consumption, destruction.
- Usage evidence: The proliferation of Internet usage has given birth to a new generation of young people.
How to use "generation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "generation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "generation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "generation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "generation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "generation" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abiogenesis" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "generation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of creating something or bringing something into being; production, creation. countable, uncountable
"The generation of peat, when not completely under water, is confined to moist situations […]"
- 2 the act of producing offspring or multiplying by such production wordnet
- 3 The act of creating a living creature or organism; procreation. countable, uncountable
"So all things else, that nourish vitall blood, / Soone as with fury thou doest them inspire, / In generation seek to quench their inward fire."
- 4 the production of heat or electricity wordnet
- 5 Race, family; breed. US, countable, dialectal, uncountable
"Thy Mothers of my generation: what's she, if I be a Dogge?"
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 a coming into being wordnet
- 7 A single step or stage in the succession of natural descent; a rank or degree in genealogy, the members of a family from the same parents, considered as a single unit. countable, uncountable
"This is the book of the generations of Adam - Genesis 5:1"
- 8 group of genetically related organisms constituting a single step in the line of descent wordnet
- 9 Descendants, progeny; offspring. Nigeria, countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 10 all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age wordnet
- 11 The average amount of time needed for children to grow up and have children of their own, generally considered to be a period of around thirty years, used as a measure of time. countable, uncountable
"Before the independence of India the books of Dr P. K. Yadav presented a fundamental challenge to the accepted ideas of race relations that, two generations later, will be true of the writings of the radical writers of the 1970s."
- 12 the normal time between successive generations wordnet
- 13 A set stage in the development of computing or of a specific technology. countable, uncountable
"The first-generation iPhone was released in June 2007 and was an instant blockbuster success."
- 14 a stage of technological development or innovation wordnet
- 15 The formation or production of any geometrical magnitude, as a line, a surface, a solid, by the motion, in accordance with a mathematical law, of a point or a magnitude, by the motion of a point, of a surface by a line, a sphere by a semicircle, etc. countable, uncountable
"the generation of a line or curve"
- 16 A group of people born in a specific range of years and whose members can relate culturally to one another. countable, uncountable
"Generation X grew up in the eighties, whereas the generation known as the millennials grew up in the nineties."
- 17 A version of a form of pop culture which differs from later or earlier versions. countable, uncountable
"People sometimes dispute which generation of Star Trek is best, including the original and The Next Generation."
- 18 A copy of a recording made from an earlier copy. countable, uncountable
"With one-inch C format or half-inch Betacam used in the component mode, quality loss through additional generations is not such a problem. In this situation, it would be usual to make the necessary alterations while re-recording onto a third generation master […]"
- 19 A single iteration of a cellular automaton rule on a pattern. countable, uncountable
"It runs for 17331 generations before stabilizing as 136 blinkers, 109 blocks, 65 beehives, 18 loaves, 18 boats, 7 ships, 4 tubs, 3 ponds, 2 toads, and 40 gliders."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The proliferation of Internet usage has given birth to a new generation of young people."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "generation"?
Common synonyms include: abiogenesis, aeon, age, age group, age group, annus magnus.
How do you use "generation" in a sentence?
The proliferation of Internet usage has given birth to a new generation of young people.
How do you pronounce "generation"?
Pronounced /ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English generacioun, from Anglo-Norman generacioun, Middle French generacion, and their source, Latin generātiō, from generāre (“to beget, generate”). By surface analysis, generate + -ion.