: of or relating to a potential, forthcoming, or brand-new version of an existing product or technology : next-generation
next-gen medicines
Next-gen tactical lasers will likely be electrically-powered and diode-pumped, since chemical lasers require storage and transport of heavy ingredients.—Eric Adams
Those plans could include solar panels, modern heating and cooling systems, and next-gen tech to support a fleet of electric-powered buses.—Justin Engel

Examples of next-gen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But Starship Flight 14 lofted the first members of the next-gen Starlink V3 constellation, which will eventually consist of 100,000 spacecraft, if all goes to plan. — Andrew Jones, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Statham said this experience with both the farm and verification sides of next-gen fiber production have informed their work with Good Earth Cotton. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 The project places her among a wave of next-gen electronic artists like Ninajirachi, 2hollis and Jane Remover, all of whom are currently making left of center dance music with strong pop tendencies. — Katie Bain, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026 But this week, SpaceX received the green light to launch 15,000 next-gen satellites for version 2 of Starlink Mobile, which promises to offer 5G connectivity at 150 Mbps per user. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for next-gen

Word History

Etymology

next-generation

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of next-gen was in 1995

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Next-gen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/next-gen. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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