generation
gb/d͡ʒˌɛnɚˈeɪʃən/ us/d͡ʒˌɛnɚˈeɪʃən/
B1
English
~ 1400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
people of similar age period
A group of people born around the same time.
Usage pattern:
[a/an/the] generation of [people]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'generation' with 'era' or 'century', but 'generation' refers to people, not just time periods.
Synonyms
age group (More general term for people of similar ages, not necessarily tied to historical period.)
|
cohort (Often used in formal or academic contexts to mean a group with shared time-based characteristics.)
Antonyms
different generation (Refers to people from another age group or time period.)
Collocations
younger generation
|older generation
|next generation
|new generation
|generation gap
Themes
society
|family
|demographics
|relationships
|time
Examples
- The younger generation is more comfortable with technology.
- My grandparents’ generation lived through the war.
- A new generation of leaders is emerging in politics.
- There is often a gap between generations in values and attitudes.
Learner examples
- My generation uses smartphones every day.
- Her parents are from an older generation.
- A new generation will face new problems.
- We have different ideas from the older generation.
Noun
B2
action
2
act of producing something
The act of making or producing something.
Usage pattern:
generation of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'generation' with 'generator', but 'generation' is the process, not the device.
Synonyms
production (More general term for making goods, energy, or other outputs.)
|
creation (Focuses on bringing something into existence, often less industrial.)
Antonyms
consumption (Refers to using up what has been produced.)
Collocations
power generation
|generation of electricity
|generation of income
|generation of ideas
Themes
technology
|energy
|production
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Solar panels are used for the generation of electricity.
- The project focuses on the generation of new ideas.
- Modern technology allows for faster data generation.
Learner examples
- Wind power helps in the generation of clean energy.
- The machine is for the generation of heat.
- We need the generation of more jobs.
Noun
B2
quantity
3
time span between parent and child births
The usual time (about 20–30 years) between when parents and their children are born.
Synonyms
age interval (General term for a period between two events in life cycles.)
Collocations
within a generation
|over generations
Themes
family
|time
|relationships
Examples
- It took just one generation for the town to change completely.
- In less than two generations, technology has transformed our lives.
- They have lived here for many generations.
Learner examples
- In one generation, many things can change.
- My family has been here for four generations.
- A generation is about twenty-five years.
Grammar
Dictionary form
generation
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˌɛnɚˈeɪʃən/
US/d͡ʒˌɛnɚˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
gen - er - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (er)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: generation
- Plural: generation, generations
Word family
Expressions
new generation
1/njˈu d͡ʒˌɛnɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
most recent group of people or things
The most recent group of people or things of a type.
Examples
- A new generation of athletes is winning medals.
- This car is part of a new generation of electric vehicles.
next generation
1/nˈɛkst d͡ʒˌɛnɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
people or things coming next in time
The people or products that will come after the current ones.
Examples
- We are developing the next generation of smartphones.
- The next generation will face different challenges.
generation gap
1/d͡ʒˌɛnɚˈeɪʃən ɡˈæp/
fixed phrase
differences between age groups' views and habits
A difference in opinions or ways of living between older and younger people.
Examples
- There is a big generation gap in music tastes.
- The generation gap can cause misunderstandings at work.
- The internet has widened the generation gap.
- Music tastes often show the generation gap.