Brat, the term coined by British singer Charli XCX, has been named the Collins Word of the Year 2024.
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The music star, real name Charlotte Aitchison, sent TikTok into a spiral earlier this year when her sixth studio album, titled Brat, inspired a trend that became a lifestyle, rather than just an aesthetic.
Brat was redefined as being “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude” and rapidly became the aesthetic movement of the summer, the dictionary said.
The movement became about embodying self-love, positive body image and sultry style choices, marking a sharp departure from the preceding “clean girl” trend, which promoted things such as yoga, early nights and slicked back hair.
Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary put “brat” at the top of the list after looking at media sources, including social media, because the term has been “embraced so widely.”
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The dictionary said the phrase had become “one of the most talked about words of 2024.”