LONDON (AP) 鈥� Collins Dictionary has declared that became a summer-living ideal 鈥� its 2024 word of the year.
The word, used by singer Charli XCX as the title of , has been defined as 鈥渃haracterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.鈥�
Collins lexicographers said on Friday that in the phrase 鈥渂rat summer,鈥� it became 鈥渙ne of the most talked about words of 2024.鈥�
鈥淢ore than a hugely successful album, 鈥榖rat鈥� is a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people globally, and 鈥榖rat summer鈥� established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life,鈥� 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 鈥渆ra,鈥� in the sense of 鈥渁 period of one鈥檚 life or career that is of a distinctive character.鈥� It鈥檚 inspired by .
Other notable neologisms among the dictionary鈥檚 word-of-the-year finalists include the growing ; 鈥渄elulu,鈥� meaning utterly mistaken or unrealistic in one鈥檚 ideas or expectations; and 鈥渞awdogging,鈥� taking a long-haul flight with no devices or distractions.
鈥淲ith many of this year鈥檚 notable words being popularized by generations Z and Alpha, we can confidently say this is the most 鈥榖rat鈥� Word of the Year list ever,鈥� said Collins managing director Alex Beecroft.
Collin's 2023 word of the year was 鈥淎I,鈥� short for artificial intelligence.
The Associated Press
