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
Universities in China, Canada and Europe have moved to hire American academics en masse — signaling a potential brain drain.
—
Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
The result is a brain drain that does not just weaken one sector but reverberates across entire industries.
—Britney Porter, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Fears of a brain drain Across the federal government, some workers aren't waiting around to see what happens.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
Divisions have experienced a brain drain of epic proportions, ProPublica found, losing senior leaders behind some of the biggest health initiatives of the modern era, like the rapid rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
—ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brain drain
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Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
The result is a brain drain that does not just weaken one sector but reverberates across entire industries.
—Britney Porter, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Fears of a brain drain Across the federal government, some workers aren't waiting around to see what happens.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
Divisions have experienced a brain drain of epic proportions, ProPublica found, losing senior leaders behind some of the biggest health initiatives of the modern era, like the rapid rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
—ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brain drain
Cite this Entry
“Brain drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brain%20drain. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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