brain drain

American  

Or brain-drain

noun

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of brain drain

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Plus, there’s been somewhat of a “brain drain” from Apple’s AI ecosystem, Favuzza added.

From MarketWatch

Some non-approvals owe to manufacturing problems, but another culprit is an agency brain drain.

From The Wall Street Journal

Unemployment in major cities stands at 35 percent and graduates are looking elsewhere, fuelling a lucrative brain drain market.

From Barron's

"The brain drain will weigh heavily on productivity."

From BBC

The more who leave, the better, because the brain drain is going to free up a lot of real estate and help solve the housing crisis.

From Los Angeles Times