# chav

> English word · Noun · IPA /t͡ʃæv/ · frequency rank #68,922

## Definitions
1. A working-class youth, especially one associated with aggression, poor education, and a perceived "common" taste in clothing and lifestyle.

## Etymology
Origin uncertain; probably of Angloromani origin. Compare Romani chavi (“male child”) or ćhavo, shavo (“female child”), chal (“boy”), chavvy (“mate, friend”), compare Swedish tjej; possibly cognate with Portuguese chavalo, Spanish chaval, German Chabo, Russian чувак (čuvak), Hungarian csávó. See also charva.
Derivations from council-housed and violent, Cheltenham average (and similar) are folk-etymological backronyms.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/chav