alma mater

noun al·ma ma·ter \ ˌal-mə-ˈmä-tər \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

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

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Examples of alma mater in a Sentence

I visited my old alma mater last week.

Recent Examples of alma mater from the Web

Former Highland Park standout David Lindquist has been hired to coach the football program at his alma mater.

— hunter tickel, chicagotribune.com, "Q&A: David Lindquist, Highland Park football coach," 7 May 2018
Smart, who played at Georgia from 1995-98, is 21-7 in two seasons at his alma mater after eight years as the defensive coordinator at Alabama.

— erick smith, USA TODAY, "Georgia's Kirby Smart one of top-paid college football coaches after $49 million contract," 3 May 2018
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart got a three-year contract extension and a massive raise Thursday, a deal that will keep him at his alma mater through at least 2024 and pay him $7 million per year.

— creg stephenson, AL.com, "Kirby Smart gets contract extension through 2024, will earn $7 million per year," 3 May 2018
And, Figgie said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Thursday afternoon for the baseball team's new Figgie Field, he's not yet done with improving playing facilities at his alma mater.

— jeff piorkowski/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Gilmour Academy cuts ribbon on new baseball field; made possible with Figgie donation," 3 May 2018
Evans, the first African-American to earn a doctorate in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, has taught classes at his alma mater.

— john blake, CNN, "These are the 12 most 'effective' preachers in the English language," 1 May 2018
According to friends at her alma mater, Shults was among the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy.

— CBS News, "Southwest passengers pulled woman partially sucked out of window back into plane," 18 Apr. 2018
Shults then became one of the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. military, according to the alumni group at her alma mater.

— NBC News, "Tammie Jo Shults, who landed crippled Southwest plane, was one of first female fighter pilots in U.S. Navy," 18 Apr. 2018
He’s been deployed all over the world and is now getting his master’s at my alma mater.

— The Cut, "The Consultant Whose Military Fling Takes Viagra," 15 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alma mater.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of alma mater

Latin, fostering mother

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1650

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

ALMA MATER Defined for English Language Learners

alma mater

noun

: the school, college, or university that someone attended

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