as in academic
very learned or educated but inexperienced in practical matters
an ivory-towered elite that always favors the candidate who is idealistic but unelectable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ivory-towered
academic
Adjective
-
Task force member and history professor Bob Weinberg pushed back, saying reassessing historical figures is part of the academic process.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026 -
And in March of this year, the White House revealed that the President’s Council on Science and Technology, long staffed with academic experts, is now led by tech industry figures such as Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and Oracle’s Larry Ellison—just one academic is on the council.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Ivory-towered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ivory-towered. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
