military brat
noun
plural military brats
US, informal; see usage paragraph below
: the child of a career military person
Military brats move an average of 10 times while growing up. … These frequent moves, exposure to different cultures and languages and immersion in military customs are all common, life-defining experiences in the military brat subculture.—
Veteran.com
Veteran.com
Usage of Military Brat
Military brat is a neutral term within the military and among people in military families, despite the disparaging nature of the word brat as a term for an ill-mannered, annoying child.
Examples of military brat in a Sentence
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Emma grew up a military brat in Louisiana, Charlie comes from at least a little bit of Boston money.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2026
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Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Military brat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/military%20brat. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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