During the third and final presidential debate, Donald Trump referred to Hillary Clinton as a “nasty woman,” after she took a jab at his wealth and entitlement as well as his attempt to avoid higher taxes and social security contributions.

This statement was nowhere near surprising to hear from the Republican candidate, but it did create a new term for people to use to describe women.

I know that Trump’s intentions were mean-spirited. But I, like other feminists, move to reclaim the term to be taken as a compliment.

Women across the nation have almost embraced the term and are calling themselves “nasty women.”

In my view, a “nasty woman” is a woman who does the unexpected or goes against society’s expectations. People expected Clinton to say something else about improving the debt issue. People didn’t think that she would run or win the nomination; after all, she is the first female to win the nomination from either major political party.

As of last fall, over 60 percent of students were female, but this was not always the case. Just a few decades ago, women rarely went to school after high school or went on to have careers. Any of the female students on this campus could be considered “nasty,” because we are doing something that throughout history was almost unheard of.

A “nasty woman” is someone who follows her dreams and is able to do what she loves, even if it doesn’t fit the mold that society has created. Female science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors are nasty. Females who are more career-focused than family-focused are nasty. Women who want to be leaders, presidential or not, are nasty.

Any woman who does not fit the traditional gender roles expected of them in any way could call themselves “nasty.” It’s not about whether you are physically nasty, no one wants that. It’s about going against the grain and setting your own standards and making your own plans.

A great example of a “nasty woman” would be my mother.

She has been the primary (if not the sole) breadwinner for my family since before I was born. She managed to find a well-paying career she enjoyed before my father found his. They both agreed that she would work and he would take care of the house and my sister and I when my mom was working.

We all know that Donald Trump makes ridiculous comments, but his term “nasty woman” should be embraced.

Embracing it is not what Trump would expect. As women, especially young women, college allows us to come into our own. We have the chance to build unique futures for ourselves, and the new term of “nasty woman” should help us to realize that we do not have to conform to what society wants.