as in academic
very learned or educated but inexperienced in practical matters
a large public university that needs as its president not some ivory-tower intellectual but a skilled administrator
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for ivory-tower
academic
Adjective
-
While Block is in the fourth grade, after his family moves from Indiana to Texas, his mother withdraws him from school, convinced that a traditional academic environment will stifle his budding writerly gifts.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026 -
With the funds, the university will build new student housing, a new student union, research labs, academic centers and a new arena.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
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“Ivory-tower.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ivory-tower. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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