Collins Dictionary named “Brat” the word of the year: what it means
Kyiv • UNN
The Collins Dictionary has chosen “Brat” as the word of the year 2024, meaning a person with a confident and hedonistic approach. The term gained popularity after Charli XCX's album and Kamala Harris' political campaign.
The word "Brat" has officially become the word of the year according to the Collins Dictionary of the English language, UNN reports citing the publisher's message.
Details
"Lacking in confidence? Feeling a bit sub-par? I have just the mindset for you, and it’s encapsulated in a single word: brat. Brat is different things to different people; a spiky attitude, a garish aesthetic, even a campaign slogan (the phrase "Kamala IS Brat" proved snappy enough to go politically viral, even as its meaning remained a little hard to pin down). And though it started life as the title of an album by pop singer Charli XCX, it has clearly captured something of the spirit of the age, one that goes beyond a potentially short-lived but exuberant "brat summer". Channelling self-acceptance as well as rebelliousness, it’s a fitting word for 2024, a year when hedonism and anxiety have combined to form an intoxicating brew," the publisher noted.
The word "Brat", defined as a person with a "confident, independent and hedonistic attitude", was inspired by Charli XCX, according to the BBC.
What started out as the title of her number one album may have grown into a cultural movement for some people who adopt the brat lifestyle.
Even the team of US presidential candidate Kamala Harris decided to rebrand her social media as a brat to attract young voters at the start of her campaign this summer, the publication points out.
For reference
Collins lexicographers who compile their dictionaries look at social media and other sources to determine which words should be added to their annual list of new and famous words.
