Brat, the word redefined by singer Charli XCX and adopted by supporters of US presidential candidate Kamala Harris, was on Friday named the Collins Word of the Year 2024.
Brat was the name of the British singer’s hit sixth album, and the word has now come to represent a “confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”, said Collins, rather than simply a term for a badly-behaved child.
“Inspired by the Charli XCX album, ‘brat’ has become one of the most talked about words of 2024,” said the British-based dictionary.
“More than a hugely successful album, ‘brat’ is a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people globally, and ‘brat summer’ established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life,” it added.