generation

US /ˌdʒɛnɝˈeɪʃən/ UK /ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #3036

Meanings

1

noun
All the people of about the same age within a family or society.

This music is popular with the younger generation.
2

noun
The average period, about thirty years, in which children grow up and become parents themselves.

The house has stayed in the family for three generations.
3

noun
A stage in the development of a product or technology.

The latest generation of smartphones has much better cameras.
4

noun
The act of producing something, such as power or income.

The dam is used for the generation of electricity.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms generations

Derived forms aerogenerationautogenerationbiogenerationcogenerationcongenerationcybergenerationelectrogenerationfirst-generationgenerationalgenerationergenerationismgenerationology

Related forms generate

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

generation gap
a difference in attitudes or understanding between older and younger people

Noun + noun

Proverbs (2)

See all

Simplified etymology

Generation entered English in the Middle English period and ultimately derives from Latin genus, meaning “birth, family, nation.” It belongs to the same word family as gender, generate, engender, and genus.

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.

*ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European generacioun Middle English generacion Middle French generātiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society

External links

# generation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌdʒɛnɝˈeɪʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈɹeɪʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 3036

## Meanings
1. All the people of about the same age within a family or society.
2. The average period, about thirty years, in which children grow up and become parents themselves.
3. A stage in the development of a product or technology.
4. The act of producing something, such as power or income.

## Examples
- This music is popular with the younger generation.
- The house has stayed in the family for three generations.
- The latest generation of smartphones has much better cameras.
- The dam is used for the generation of electricity.

## Derived Forms
- aerogeneration
- autogeneration
- biogeneration
- cogeneration
- congeneration
- cybergeneration
- electrogeneration
- first-generation
- generational
- generationer
- generationism
- generationology

## Related Forms
- generate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ǵenh₁-
- Root: generacioun
- Root: generacion
- Root: generātiō

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Generation is 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. In current use, the main senses are “All the people of about the same age within a family or society” and “The average period, about thirty years, in which children grow up and become parents themselves”.

## Topics
- People & Society

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