# ivory tower

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈaɪvəɹi ˈtaʊə/

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

## Etymology
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).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ivory-tower