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ivory tower

   Also found in: Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
ivory tower
n.
A place or attitude of retreat, especially preoccupation with lofty, remote, or intellectual considerations rather than practical everyday life.

[Translation of French tour d'ivoire : tour, tower + de, of + ivoire, ivory.]

ivory tower [ˈtaʊə]
n
a.  seclusion or remoteness of attitude regarding real problems, everyday life, etc.
b.  (as modifier) ivory-tower aestheticism
ivory-towered  adj
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.ivory tower - a state of mind that is discussed as if it were a place; "he lived in the ivory tower of speculation"; "they viewed universities as ivory towers"
cognitive state, state of mind - the state of a person's cognitive processes
Translations
ivory tower
n (fig)Elfenbeinturm m
adj attrweltfremd
ivory tower ntorre f d'avorio
ivory tower ntorre f d'avorio


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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
``The whole homeless advocacy world is busy talking about governance and structure and things that I guess, in an ivory tower, a university campus is very important to study up on the 11th floor of a social science building,'' Yaroslavsky said.
As Prince El Hassan bin Talal said, "A healthy exchange between scholars and experts can only strengthen our ties and interests in regional issues, but I would like to see our ivory tower discussions translate into practicable solutions on the ground.
They're a bunch of suits in an ivory tower trying to decide what we should see, what we shouldn't see.
 
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