brain drain

American  

Or brain-drain

noun

brain drains plural

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

---

brain drain British  

noun

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

---

brain drain Idioms  

1. 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.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• brain drains
  plural

Etymology

Origin of brain drain

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

The company’s chief issue is an AI brain drain.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

“Now, 2026 is similar. We’re seeing an absolutely gigantic brain drain of the industry.”

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

That, in turn, has fueled worries about a brain drain.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Another issue for the UK is a "brain drain" of experts, who see more appealing and lucrative opportunities elsewhere in the world.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

No: they continued to test at about the same levels as before the supposed brain drain.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt