The word ‘Brat’ has been selected as the Collins Dictionary’s word of the year. The term is defined as someone having a “confident, independent and hedonistic attitude,” which was inspired by singer Charli XCX’s sixth studio album, also called ‘Brat.’ The song has become momentum since its release in June, with people adopting the brat way of life. Even Kamala Harris’s US presidential team decided to give her social media a brat rebrand to attract younger voters over the summer.
Charli XCX describes a brat as a girl “who has a breakdown, but kind of like parties through it,” someone honest, blunt, and a little bit volatile. She also said that someone brat might have “a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra.” The brat movement is seen as a rejection of other trends like the “clean girl,” who looks feminine and well-kept. Charli says that creating an aesthetic has become popularized on TikTok, where the brat girl summer has been widely embraced.
The Collins team uses social media and other sources to determine which words should be added to their annual list of new words. Era, defined as “a period of one’s life or career that is of a distinctive character,” was another term that made it onto this year’s list, inspired by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Many of the words on this year’s list have been popularized by Generation Z, those born between 1995 and 2012, and Generation Alpha, who are only as old as 10 or 11.
Despite global elections taking place throughout the year, only one political term made its way onto the list; supermajority, which means a “large majority in a legislative assembly that enables a government to pass laws without effective scrutiny.” It became popular during the UK general election in July. Other words like yapping, meaning talking at length about things that don’t matter, and delulu, being unrealistic with your expectations, also made it onto this year’s list. Social media apps like TikTok and Snapchat have a significant impact on the growth of new words and phrases, according to Collins
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