Forget “kids summer” or “kid autumn” – it’s the year of the “kid,” period.

That title was made official as Collins Dictionary crowned “brat” — which is associated with chaotic behavior — the word of the year, with a nod to Charli XCX’s acid green disc.

“Inspired by Charli XCX’s album, ‘brat’ has become one of the most spoken words of 2024,” the company said. said in a statement. “More than a wildly successful album, ‘brat’ is a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people around the world, and ‘brat summer’ has established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life.”

Previously defined as a person – usually a child – who is unruly, spoiled, or annoying, the meaning of “brat” took on a new, more favorable definition, “characterized by a confident, independent, hedonistic attitude.”

Charli XCX, who just finished it Sweat Tour with Troye Sivanhas previously described the essence of “kid” as someone who “is a little messy and likes to party, and maybe does stupid things sometimes, who feels like herself but then falls apart but parties through it, is very honest , very direct, very volatile. »

The word – and the accompanying album released in June and followed by luxury records and remixes — inspired social media trends, the viral “Apple” dance in “kids’ summer”, a legion of Halloween costumes and a campaign redesign Since Vice President Kamala Harris.

The dictionary company said the trendy term “clearly captured something of the spirit of the times”, calling it “appropriate” for 2024, “a year where hedonism and anxiety have combined to form a intoxicating beverage.”

Collins Dictionary, according to the BBClooks to hot cultural trends to decide the word of the year, with last year landing on “AI.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, the word of the year was “confinement.”

Finalists for this year’s word include “brainrot”, defined as “the inability to think clearly” due to “excessive consumption of low-quality online content”, and “epoch”, a nod to Taylor Swift referring to a distinct “period”. in his life. »

Gen Z slang as “lookmaxxing” “raw dogging” And “yelp» was also part of the short-list, as was “delirium” And “romanticism.”