millennial

Everyday

1. (noun) A person born roughly between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s, who became an adult around the year 2000; also called Generation Y. tree →
2. (adjective) To do with a millennium (a thousand years) or the year 2000: «millennial celebrations». tree →
3. (adjective) To do with millennials: «millennial habits». tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and the news, «millennials» are a generation, like Gen Z (born about 1997–2012) and Gen Alpha (born from about 2010 on). Many parents of today's children are millennials. Jokes and slang talk about millennial habits (avocado toast, side-parted hair). In history, «millennial» refers to the year 2000 or the passing of a thousand years. Phrases: «millennial generation», «a millennial parent».

Examples

• My mum is a millennial, born in 1988. tree →
• Millennials grew up as the internet arrived. tree →
• There were millennial celebrations all over the world on 1 January 2000. tree →
• My cousin calls Dad's jokes «so millennial». tree →
• Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are different generations. tree →
• Some millennials remember dial-up internet. tree →
• The town planted a millennial oak tree in 2000. tree →
• The castle has stood for a millennial span – a whole thousand years. tree →

Note

Countable as a noun: one millennial, two millennials. Spelling: double l, double n: m-i-l-l-e-n-n-i-a-l. Related: millennium (1,000 years, plural millennia). Generation years are rough, not exact rules. In maths: «milli-»/«mille» link to 1,000 (a millennium is 1,000 years, a century 100).