xennial

[ zen-ee-uhl, ek-sen‐ ]

noun

1. (often initial capital letter) a person born between the late 1970s and early 1980s, especially in the U.S.; a member of the microgeneration between Generation X and Generation Y.

adjective

1. (often initial capital letter) noting or relating to the generation born between the late 1970s and early 1980s, especially in the U.S., seen as a microgeneration between Generation X and Generation Y.

Word History and Origins

Origin of xennial¹

(Generation) X ( def ) + (mill)ennial ( def ); possibly coined by U.S. journalists Sarah Stankorb and Jed Oelbaum in their essay “Reasonable People Disagree about the Post-Gen X, Pre-Millennial Generation” (2014)