brain drain

or brain-drain

noun

1. a loss of trained professional personnel to another company, nation, etc., that offers greater opportunity.

brain drain

noun

1. informal.
   the emigration of scientists, technologists, academics, etc, for better pay, equipment, or conditions

Word History and Origins

Origin of brain drain¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Idioms and Phrases

The departure of educated or talented persons for better pay or jobs elsewhere, as in The repression of free speech in Germany triggered a brain drain to Britain and America . The term originated about 1960, when many British scientists and intellectuals emigrated to the United States for a better working climate.

Example Sentences

Maybe the cleric can rub his own magic lamp, and ask it to explain the concept known as brain drain.

From The Daily Beast

It had suffered a sizeable brain drain, since over a third of its workforce was fired by Chavez for dereliction of duty.

From The Daily Beast

As a result, Russia is suffering capital flight and brain drain, and is growing weaker.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, turnaround experts will tell you that the brain drain typically begins long before the Chapter 11 filing.

From The Daily Beast

It should be allowing banks to operate here, thus stopping the city's brain drain to Amman and Dubai.

From The Daily Beast

Others despairingly regard the brain drain as a natural catastrophe.

From Project Gutenberg

Brain drain – skilled people desert, en masse, the fragmented economic system and move to more sustainable ones.

From Project Gutenberg