ivory tower

== English == === 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). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈaɪvəɹi ˈtaʊə/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈaɪvəɹi ˈtaʊɚ/ === Noun === ivory tower (plural ivory towers) (idiomatic) A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === ivory tower (comparative more ivory tower, superlative most ivory tower) Separated from reality and practical matters; overly academic. === See also === armchair cloisterism === References ===