# ivory tower

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/ivory-tower
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.

## Examples

- He lives in an ivory tower and ignores real problems.
- The professor's ideas sounded brilliant, but his colleagues felt he was stuck in an ivory tower, far from the needs of actual students.
- The city planners need to leave their ivory tower and talk to the residents who actually use the broken public transport system every day.
- By remaining within the safety of his ivory tower, the philosopher failed to grasp the urgent economic struggles facing the citizens outside his university walls.

## Origin

Calque of French tour d'ivoire, based on a biblical phrase, coined by Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve to compare the poet Alfred de Vigny (more isolated) with Victor Hugo (more socially engaged). First attested in English in a translation of Laughter by French philosopher Henri Bergson (1911). The term was popularized in The Ivory Tower (1917) by Henry James, though used in different sense (millionaires, not professors).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.