ivory tower

noun

1
: an impractical often escapist attitude marked by aloof lack of concern with or interest in practical matters or urgent problems
2
: a secluded place that affords the means of treating practical issues with an impractical often escapist attitude
especially : a place of learning
ivory-tower adjective
ivory-towerish adjective

Examples of ivory tower in a Sentence

The book was written by some college professor who's spent her entire professional life in an ivory tower.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
There’s a reason that ideas from the progressive ivory tower need to be tested. Editorial, Boston Herald, 20 Feb. 2025 The artificial intelligence revolution has catapulted data science from the ivory towers of academia into the mainstream, democratizing access to powerful analytical tools that were once the domain of specialists. Bernard Marr, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 That argument has been very influential, both in the ivory tower and beyond. Sigal Samuel, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 Further, these foundation models have democratized AI, from data scientists sitting in an ivory tower designing algorithms that the rest of the organization does not understand to putting the power of these models in the hands of everyone. Arun Shastri, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ivory tower

Word History

Etymology

translation of French tour d'ivoire

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ivory tower was in 1894

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Cite this Entry

“Ivory tower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ivory%20tower. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.

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