/ ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] all the people who were born at about the same time :
the younger / older generation
My generation have grown up without the experience of a world war.
I often wonder what future generations will make of our efforts.
2.
[ C ] the average time in which children grow up, become adults and have children of their own, (usually considered to be about 30 years) :
a generation ago
My family have lived in this house for generations .
3.
[ C , U ] a single stage in the history of a family :
stories passed down from generation to generation
a first- / second-generation American (= a person whose family has lived in America for one / two generations)
4.
[ C , usually sing. ] a group of people of similar age involved in a particular activity :
She has inspired a whole generation of fashion school graduates.
5.
[ C , usually sing. ] a stage in the development of a product, usually a technical one :
fifth-generation computing
a new generation of vehicle
6.
[ U ] the production of sth, especially electricity, heat, etc. :
the generation of electricity
methods of income generation
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : via Old French from Latin generatio(n-) , from the verb generare , from genus , gener- stock, race.