generational

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree English generation Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English generational From generation + -al.

1. Of, pertaining to, or changing over generations.

   “The generational shift Mr. Obama once embodied is, in fact, well under way, but it will not change Washington as quickly — or as harmoniously — as a lot of voters once hoped.”

2. Exceptional; the best/worst of a generation; once-in-a-generation.
3. Very good/bad (through semantic bleaching or weakening of the above sense).

   “Mr Musk’s actions are worrying shareholders – a gesture he referred to as a “Roman salute” has not gone down well in Europe. In a recent survey of over 100,000 Germans, 94pc said they would never purchase a Tesla, while sales in their country were down 62pc during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the year before. … Gen Z investors on social media refer to errors like this as “a generational fumble”.”