LONDON –
Collins Dictionary has declared “brat” — the album title that became a summer-living ideal — its 2024 word of the year.
The word, used by singer Charli XCX as the title of her sixth studio album, has been defined as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.”
Collins lexicographers said on Friday that in the phrase “brat summer,” it became “one of the most talked about words of 2024.”
“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,” the dictionary said.
Collins experts monitor their 20-billion-word database to create the annual list of new and notable words that reflect the ever-evolving English language.
Other new and notable words for 2024 include “era,” in the sense of “a period of one’s life or career that is of a distinctive character.” It’s inspired by Taylor Swift’s world-conquering Eras tour.
Other notable neologisms among the dictionary’s word-of-the-year finalists include the growing movement against mass tourism, “anti-tourism”; “delulu,” meaning utterly mistaken or unrealistic in one’s ideas or expectations; and “rawdogging,” taking a long-haul flight with no devices or distractions.
“With many of this year’s notable words being popularized by generations Z and Alpha, we can confidently say this is the most `brat’ Word of the Year list ever,” said Collins managing director Alex Beecroft.
Collin’s 2023 word of the year was “AI,” short for artificial intelligence.