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.

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brain drain British  

noun

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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• brain drains
  plural

Etymology

Origin of brain drain

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Sanctions in the 1980s—and the ensuing brain drain from Iran—caused a long decline in its oil output that the industry has never fully recovered from.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

The script burns so much energy trying to come up with a surprise that it suffers from brain drain.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

The war also sparked a brain drain in Israel.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 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