A White Elephant: Meaning & Origin Revealed

Understanding common expressions in American culture can be difficult, especially if you are not a native English speaker. And even if you are, some meanings get lost, and their origins are forgotten. Maybe you’ve heard someone utter a phrase that went completely over your head, or you’ve heard it a million times but don’t really understand what it means. Have you ever received an invitation to a white elephant party? Maybe you know the essence of what it entails but not the origin of the saying. Discover the origin and meaning of “white elephant,” including examples and synonyms.

What Kind of Saying is “White Elephant?”

The phrase “white elephant” is an idiomatic expression. An idiom is a phrase that has a specific meaning that can’t be easily understood by the individual words of said phrase. For instance, “break the ice” means to get a conversation going. And “a dime a dozen” refers to something ordinary and common. You understand the phrase as a whole, but when broken down, it’s nonsensical. People who are not native or fluent English speakers may not understand that a phrase like “break a leg” doesn’t actually mean someone wants your leg to be broken.

The expression “white elephant” is the same thing. When someone invites you to a white elephant party, it doesn’t mean there will be white elephants roaming about.

So, what exactly does white elephant mean? And where does the phrase come from? Let’s break it down.

What Does “White Elephant” Mean?

A white elephant is a possession that is expensive or burdensome to keep and maintain. It’s a pricey item that serves no useful purpose and has no real value. The owner of the item typically can’t dispose of it and is often troubled by its difficult upkeep and pricey maintenance. 

But the term “white elephant” can also be used to describe other things, like a business, property, project, or investment. In the investment world, a white elephant is a business or property that is too expensive to operate and make a profit from. They are also considered illiquid assets. These types of assets are difficult to sell or trade, causing financial loss to the owners. For instance, a white elephant in real estate would be a property that is expensive to upkeep, but the sellers would take a significant loss by selling if they can even sell at all. Costly building projects, like shopping malls, airports, and stadiums, can also become white elephants. They are extremely expensive to maintain and often fail to deliver enough revenue to justify keeping them running. And sometimes, the term can apply to employees with little to no use but can’t be fired.

Where Does the Phrase “White Elephant” Come From?

The term “white elephant” originated in Southeast Asia. Monarchs in Siam (Thailand), Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, kept white elephants due to their powerful stature. White elephants represented prosperity, justice, and strength, and they were heavily regarded as a sign of wealth and power. In fact, white elephants were so sacred that laws protected them from being used in labor. They were meant to stand around and look mighty. And if you don’t know, elephants are very costly to maintain. In modern times, caring for one elephant can cost tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

If a monarch gifted you a white elephant, it was both a blessing and a curse. It meant that you found favor with a person in high power but that you now have this insanely expensive animal to care for. And because it was illegal for white elephants to work, you could not recoup any money for their maintenance. You could also not give it away because that would be a sign of disrespect. In other words, a white elephant was a useless, impractical gift.

Hence, the theme for a white elephant party. The goal is to buy the most useless and ridiculous gift you can find. Today, a white elephant is used as a practical joke and is all in good fun.

What is a Synonym for White Elephant?

• Burden
• More trouble than its worth
• Albatross
• Castaways
• Reject
• Rubbish
• Useless
• Gimmick
• Worthless
• Outmoded object

The photo featured at the top of this post is © JohnEGoodwin/Shutterstock.com