Synonyms

brainchild

American

[breyn-chahyld] / ˈbreɪnˌtʃaɪld /

Or brain-child,

noun

a product of one's creative work or thought.

brainchild British

/ ˈbreɪnˌtʃaɪld /

noun

informal an idea or plan produced by creative thought; invention

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of brainchild

First recorded in 1880–85; brain + child

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It's the brainchild of Jo Mason, a City of London banker who tired of counterfeit profiles on dating sites.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

It was the brainchild of Ford advisor John R. Lee, an early proponent of “scientific” management.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

It was the brainchild of James Dolan, who was perpetually in the klieg lights for his sports and entertainment empire that controlled the Knicks, Rangers and Madison Square Garden.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The Comic Relief charity, set up in 1985, was the brainchild of filmmaker Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Leah was the brainchild of the whole trip.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023