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generation

n.
US //ˌdʒɛnɝˈeɪʃən// UK //dʒˌɛnəɹˈeɪʃən// gen·er·a·tion
  1. 1 people of the same age (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    all the people born and living at about the same time.

    a cohort of individuals born and living within the same historical period, typically spanning about thirty years.

    Example

    My grandfather's generation lived through very difficult times during the war.

    Example

    Sociologists often study how each generation develops its own unique cultural identity in response to the political climate of its youth.
  2. 2 producing something (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Technical Science

    the act of making or producing something, especially energy or heat.

    the process of producing or creating something, particularly in a technical or industrial context.

    Example

    The wind farm is used for the generation of clean electricity.

    Example

    The rapid generation of heat during the chemical reaction required the engineers to install an advanced cooling system.
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  1. 3 family stage (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    one step in the history of a family, such as from parent to child.

    a single stage in the succession of natural descent; a rank or degree in a genealogy.

    Example

    The farm has been owned by the same family for four generations.

    Example

    The family tree reveals that the artistic talent has skipped a generation, reappearing in the great-grandchildren.
  2. 4 technology version (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

    a stage in the development of a product or technology.

    a distinct stage in the development of technology or a specific product line.

    Example

    The latest generation of smartphones has much better cameras than the old ones.

    Example

    The transition to the next generation of wireless networks promised significantly lower latency for industrial applications.
  3. 5 copy of a recording (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    a copy of a video or sound recording made from an earlier one.

    a single stage in the duplication process of a recording, where each subsequent copy is a new generation.

    Example

    The video quality is poor because this is a third-generation copy of the tape.

    Example

    In the era of analogue tape, engineers had to be careful about generation loss during the editing and mastering process.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'generation loss' to describe quality reduction.
Origin

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.

Word family

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