Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Generation has 8 different meanings across 1 category:
all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
"The current generation is facing unique challenges that previous generations never had to deal with."
group of genetically related organisms constituting a single step in the line of descent
"The biologist studied how a specific mutation passed from one generation to the next within the isolated wolf pack."
the normal time between successive generations
"they had to wait a generation for that prejudice to fade"
a coming into being
"The new generation of electric cars will soon be available at local dealerships."
the production of heat or electricity
"dams were built for the generation of electricity"
the act of producing offspring or multiplying by such production
"The ancient oak tree spent decades in a state of dormancy before finally entering a new generation after successfully producing seeds that sprouted into saplings."
The act of creating something or bringing something into being; production, creation.
"The new factory was built to increase coal generation during the winter months."
In plain English: A generation is a group of people born and living at about the same time who share similar experiences and cultural influences.
"My grandfather often tells stories about his generation growing up during the war."
Usage: As a noun, generation most commonly refers to a group of people born and living at about the same time rather than the act of producing something. Use this meaning when discussing family lineages or specific historical cohorts, not for describing manufacturing or creation processes.
The word generation comes from the Latin generātiō, which originally meant "the act of begetting." It entered English through Middle French and Anglo-Norman before settling into its current form.