The definition of the noun brainchild is an original idea, creative thought, or invention attributed to a person or group. A brainchild is essentially a figurative child birthed by a brain. That was the word’s original sense when it was coined in the late 19th century.
According to all the dictionaries we checked, brainchild does not mean a person who has good ideas or a person or group who has an idea or creates something. So, these would be incorrect:
The Center for Public History and Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University is the brainchild behind the app … [Cleve Scene]
She is the brainchild of this innovative workshop. [Pune Mirror]
He is the brainchild behind a series of workshops being held in Durham … [Journal Live]
Of course, words do change when unconventional ways of using them become conventional. So brainchild may just be gaining a new definition. But the original is a useful word with few synonyms, so for it to be eroded would be a shame. Many writers still use it in the old sense, though—for example:
It began life 30 years ago as the brainchild of disillusioned nuclear power engineer and yesterday established its first business arm in the US. [Herald Scotland]
The group was the brainchild of Rachel Doll O’Mahoney, Seattle U’s Campus Minister for Faith Formation. [Seattle University Spectator]
The inventive ad is the brainchild of advertising agency DCS Brazil … [Tecca]
