How does the MLA capitalize names of generations?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.

In our publications, we follow the recommendations in The Chicago Manual of Style (“Generation”). We generally lowercase generation names such as baby boomers and millennials, but we capitalize generation names that include letters, such as Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. Student writers could follow Chicago as well or consult another reliable source, such as Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

Work Cited

“Generation.” The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed., sec. 8.42, U of Chicago P, 2017, www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/book/ed17/part2/ch08/psec042.html.