Lex Valluzzi, Arts Editor
Collin’s English Dictionary is a print and online publication by the Collin’s Publishing company in 1824 in Glasgow, Scotland. Every year since 2013, Collin’s Dictionary has announced their “word of the year.” Past words in recent years include but are not limited to: “A.I,” “permacrisis,” “NFT,” and “Lockdown.”
This week, Collin’s has announced their 2024 word of the year. A word that has significantly changed in meaning over the course of this year, all thanks to British pop singer Charlotte Aitchison, more popularly known as Charli XCX. The word? “Brat.”
Notably chosen based on Charli’s most recent album titled “Brat,” The artist’s sixth studio album was released on June 7th of this year, through Atlantic Records. With its iconic lime green cover art, this sixteen-track electropop soundtrack has had an enormous effect on youth culture since its release. Traditionally meaning a poorly behaved or spoiled child, Charli has given the term a new meaning, “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.”
“Brat” has evolved from an album to an aesthetic and lifestyle that is embraced by Gen Z and millennials. The summer of 2024 has been defined as “Brat summer,’ a movement in which young women take negative connotations away from the word and express themselves any way they so desire. The album itself is all about navigating womanhood in your thirties and reflecting on when you were a teenager.
Collin’s dictionary has stated that their word of the year is chosen by “analyzing their own databases and social media to figure out which notable words are becoming more prominent.” These words are not limited to United Kingdom vocabulary and are often decided based on worldwide influence. These chosen words are meant to reflect the constant evolution of the English language. The music world is a place full of ever-changing vocabulary to define music genres and artists, and “Brat,” (which is indeed more of a concept, than a noun) has officially ticked all of the boxes.
Charli came out in a TikTok video officially defining “brat” as “someone who has a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra. You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels like herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.”
The concept of being a “Brat” has taken the world by storm and has had large effects on younger women’s self esteem in positive ways. Although we have moved out of “brat summer,” Thanks to Collins Dictionary, the ideals will always stick around.
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