a white elephant
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Some possession the expense or responsibility of which is more than it is worth.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a white elephant” mean?
Some possession the expense or responsibility of which is more than it is worth.
Is “a white elephant” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.