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
The reality is, right now, with Ukraine’s brain drain, increasing poverty levels, and eroded democracy, our resilience is fragile.
—
Iuliia Mendel, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
Most of us have heard of brain drains across borders, such as when productive people flee Cuba or Venezuela for freer countries.
—Onkar Ghate, Orange County Register, 22 Jan. 2025
Other teams that have profited by the brain drain at Red Bull include Sauber, taking the longtime sporting director Jonathan Wheatley as its team principal, and the chief mechanic Lee Stevenson.
—Brad Spurgeon, Robb Report, 28 Jan. 2025
Instead, waves of migration over generations would reshape South Florida and U.S. immigration detention policies, with a brain drain also flowing into New York, Canada, and most recently, Brazil, Chile and Mexico.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for brain drain 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Iuliia Mendel, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
Most of us have heard of brain drains across borders, such as when productive people flee Cuba or Venezuela for freer countries.
—Onkar Ghate, Orange County Register, 22 Jan. 2025
Other teams that have profited by the brain drain at Red Bull include Sauber, taking the longtime sporting director Jonathan Wheatley as its team principal, and the chief mechanic Lee Stevenson.
—Brad Spurgeon, Robb Report, 28 Jan. 2025
Instead, waves of migration over generations would reshape South Florida and U.S. immigration detention policies, with a brain drain also flowing into New York, Canada, and most recently, Brazil, Chile and Mexico.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for brain drain
Dictionary Entries Near brain drain
Cite this Entry
“Brain drain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brain%20drain. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share