alumnus

noun

alum·​nus ə-ˈləm-nəs 

plural alumni ə-ˈləm-ˌnī 

1

: a person who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university

an alumnus of Columbia University

—usually used of a man in the singular but often of men and women in the plural

2

: a person who is a former member, employee, contributor, or inmate

a Saturday Night Live alumnus

Did you know?

Alumnus or Alumna?

Many people are comfortable using the word alumni to refer to someone who was a student of a particular school. However, others feel quite strongly that this is an error and that the following forms should be used: alumnus (for one male), alumni (for multiple males, or for a mix of males and females), alumna (for one female), and alumnae (for multiple females). The shortened form alum and its plural form alums began to be used in the 19th century. Initially, alum was widely viewed as highly colloquial or informal, but is increasing in use as a gender-neutral alternative.

Examples of alumnus in a Sentence

Her parents are alumni of the state university.

Recent Examples on the Web

The lawsuit alleges breach of fiduciary duty and claims the school rejected roughly $10 million in pledges from alumni seeking to preserve the all-boys model. — Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026

Founded in 2014, Bay Sox teams have won four girls national championships and 10 alumni are playing high school baseball in the Bay Area. — Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 24 July 2026

Nearly every person in the arena was on their feet, including a cohort of incoming Jayhawks watching in awe to see if their predecessors could complete a 14-point second half comeback to defeat the K-State alumni squad at Washburn’s arena. — Latif Love july 23, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

The alumni organization has been building a donor base of former students from decades of program rosters that had been kept in hard copy in Cal Poly’s athletic department. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, "male nursing child, man produced by some formative agent (as a nation or race)," from alere "to nourish" + -mn-, mediopassive participle suffix — more at old entry 1

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for alumnus

• dumbness
• numbness

Kids Definition

alumnus

noun

alum·​nus ə-ˈləm-nəs 

plural alumni -ˌnī 

: a person who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university

Etymology

Latin, literally "foster son," from alere "to nourish" — related to alimentary, alma mater