alma mater

noun

al·​ma ma·​ter ˌal-mə-ˈmä-tər 

1

: a school, college, or university which one has attended or from which one has graduated

went to a class reunion at his alma mater

2

: the song or hymn of a school, college, or university

"Hey, Harvard boy, sing your alma mater!" shouted an obnoxious producer.

—Phil Kloer

Examples of alma mater in a Sentence

I visited my old alma mater last week.

Recent Examples on the Web

So much of that time has been spent around a baseball diamond, with Todd coaching 16 years at their alma mater before moving to Stoneman Douglas in 2011. —Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026

Bret coaches the sport in high school at his alma mater, Millard North. —Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 11 May 2026

Last year, D’Aniello funded the construction and renovation of a chapel at his alma mater, Syracuse University, with a painting dedicated to his mom. —Gigi Zamora, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026

He also was opposed to mask policies during the pandemic, so much so that his alma mater, Gonzaga University, suspended his basketball season tickets in 2022 because of his refusal to wear a mask. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, fostering mother

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for alma mater

• imprimatur
• underwater
• auteur
• blotter
• cotter
• daughter
• hotter
• otter
• plotter
• rotter
• slaughter
• spotter

Kids Definition

alma mater

noun

al·​ma ma·​ter ˌal-mə-ˈmät-ər 

: a school, college, or university that one has attended

Etymology

Latin, literally "fostering mother," from almus "nourishing" (from alire "to nourish") and mater "mother" — related to alimentary, maternal