brainchild

American

[breyn-chahyld] / ˈbreɪnˌtʃaɪld /

Or brain-child,

noun

plural

brainchildren

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.

Headquartered north of Atlanta, Phoenix Air is the brainchild of two brothers, Mark and Dent Thompson.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

The Mojave Experience is the brainchild of Patrick Brink, singer and songwriter for the band Volume, who was born and raised in Twentynine Palms.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

The huddle was the brainchild of now-injured captain Reece James rather than Rosenior, who explained their purpose saying: "That is the best way I think I can get messages across to them."

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

It wasn’t until economist Ralph Anspach became entangled in a legal battle with the game maker in the 1970s that the true story and Magie’s brainchild came to light.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

But this place is the brainchild of a bunch of Survivalists, built on a dream of pre-war America, which is how I know that my next words will change everything.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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