brain drain

noun

: the departure of educated or professional people from one country, economic sector, or field for another usually for better pay or living conditions

Examples of brain drain in a Sentence

Nothing has been done to stop the brain drain as more and more doctors move away from the area.

Recent Examples on the Web

This downturn in the local economy was made worse by decades of austerity measures and brain drain. — George Francis Lee, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026

Over the last decade, China reversed its brain drain, luring thousands of skilled workers back home to help fuel its rise as a technology powerhouse. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 15 July 2026

Amid shrinking recognition, the Tibetan exile community also faces a brain drain to the West, where assimilation dilutes their culture. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026

The result is a slow, compounding brain drain that weakens local talent pools and forces local employers to recruit from elsewhere at high cost. — Byron V. Garrett, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brain drain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign