Standard Lemma guide

brainchild

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɹeɪnt͡ʃaɪld/
  • General-American: /ˈbɹeɪnˌt͡ʃaɪld/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B R EY1 N CH AY2 L D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A creation of one's brain; an original idea or innovation of a person or group of people, an organization, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • The entire project was the brainchild of a small group of visionaries.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To think up (an idea or innovation); to come up with.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a product of your creative thinking and work

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he had little respect for the inspirations of other artists
  • after years of work his brainchild was a tangible reality

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inspiration

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: product, production

History

Etymology

From brain + child.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Abkhaz: аԥҵа́мҭа (apcʼámta) — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Abkhaz: а́ҟаҵамҭа (áqʼacʼamta) — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Arabic: بنت الفكر — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Arabic: وليدة فكر — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Arabic: فكرة مبتكرة — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 智力产物 — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 主意 — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Dutch: geesteskind — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Dutch: hersenkind — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Dutch: idee — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Finnish: luomus — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • French: création — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • German: Geistesprodukt — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • German: geistiges Kind — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Hungarian: agyszülemény — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Italian: frutto ingegno — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Polish: wynalazek — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Portuguese: criação — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Russian: де́тище (détišče) — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Spanish: bodeguero — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Spanish: invención — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Swedish: tankefoster — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation
  • Turkish: buluş — creation of one’s brain — see also idea, innovation