Gen Z

noun

ˈjen-ˈzē 

: generation z

Gen Z is as nuanced and complex as every generation before them … In fact, they are considered to be the most diverse and multicultural generation ever.

—Andrew Kelly and Guy Cierzan

Gen Z is incredibly media savvy, so the challenge for marketers is trying to connect with an audience that already knows every marketing trick in the book.

—Chirag Kulkarni

—often used before another noun

Gen Z activists are using social media to start movements and gather the momentum they need to make positive changes in the world.

—Savanna Smith

—often hyphenated in such use

Gen-Z students/consumers

Gen Zer

ˈjen-ˈzē-ər 

noun

or Gen-Zer

plural Gen Zers or Gen-Zers

… even the oldest Gen Zer was just a tween when the iPhone was released in 2007.

—Ryan Kelly

Though many tend to lump them together, millennials and Gen Zers are two very different cohorts.

—Chad Recchia

Examples of Gen Z in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Additionally, studies have shown that Gen Z are turning their back on boozy nights out. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025

Shouts & Murmurs: Country-Club Etiquette Adjustments for Gen Z P.S. —Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025

In the modern-day timeline of this multigenerational family drama, Lyca, an extremely online member of Gen Z, is investigating the mysterious estrangement of her grandmother and great-aunt. —Mark Athitakis, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2025

Founder, supermodel Elsa Hosk spoke of her label’s capture of the Gen Z and Millennial demographic in a January interview. —Hannah Malach, WWD, 30 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above