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

Though the pair eventually found employment—Kornfeind as a trade compliance specialist and Raines as an administrative assistant at their alma mater—these accounts of the gauntlet facing recent college graduates are far from unique. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

Such connections were worth it as a junior varsity coach at his Carson High School alma mater in Southern California. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025

In 2006, Averion returned to his alma mater, Channelview High School, as its football team's head coach for many seasons. —Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025

The singer just delivered fresh early-fall outfit inspiration at her first public appearance since her engagement, cheering on Travis Kelce’s alma mater at a college football game in Kansas City. —Nicol Natale, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, fostering mother

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for alma mater

• annunciator
• imprimatur
• underwater
• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater

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