A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of without extreme difficulty, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. In modern usage, it is a metaphor used to describe an object, construction project, scheme, business venture, facility, etc. considered expensive but without equivalent utility or value relative to its capital (acquisition) and/or operational (maintenance) costs.[1]
- ^ "Home : Oxford English Dictionary". oxforddictionaries.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.