brain drain

noun

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of brain drain

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

See brain drain defined for English-language learners

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 of brain drain from the Web

On top of the brain drain, Taipei has struggled to compete with an increasingly powerful China in diplomacy.

— michael holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, "Beijing's message for young Taiwanese: We mean business," 29 Mar. 2018
The rate of brain drain has only increased with globalization.

— naunihal singh, Washington Post, "What ‘Black Panther’s’ Wakanda can teach us about Africa’s history — and its future," 28 Feb. 2018
Officials also believe the scholarship has helped stem a brain drain from the state.

— the hechinger report, NOLA.com, "How Louisiana's students came to rely on TOPS, and what might happen now," 27 Mar. 2018
At a time when many provincial cities are suffering from brain drain as young Russians seek opportunities in Moscow, St. Petersburg or abroad, Krasnodar's economic boom has been driving population growth.

— sabra ayres, latimes.com, "Meet the voters in Russia's heartland who are about to give Vladimir Putin another six years in office," 16 Mar. 2018
And, furthermore, didn’t all these smart people going into sports, instead of other fields, represent a form of brain drain?

— chris ballard, SI.com, "The Smartest Basketball Mind Outside the NBA," 8 Mar. 2018
In addition, brain drain has proved a significant hurdle to post-independence technological advancement in Africa.

— naunihal singh, Washington Post, "What ‘Black Panther’s’ Wakanda can teach us about Africa’s history — and its future," 28 Feb. 2018
The American government, which has long tried to undermine Cuba’s leaders, established a program in 2006 to welcome Cuban doctors, with the aim of exacerbating the island’s brain drain.

— ernesto londoÑo, New York Times, "Cuban Doctors Revolt: ‘You Get Tired of Being a Slave’," 29 Sep. 2017
The brain drain has struck close to Tillerson, too.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "“Too Little, Too Late”: Diplomats Yawn as Rex Tillerson Kvells About His Vaunted State Dept. “Re-Design”," 13 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brain drain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of brain drain

1960

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in the meaning defined above

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BRAIN DRAIN Defined for English Language Learners

brain drain

noun

Definition of brain drain for English Language Learners

: a situation in which many educated or professional people leave a particular place or profession and move to another one that gives them better pay or living conditions