alma mater

noun

al·​ma ma·​ter ˌal-mə-ˈmä-tər How to pronounce alma mater (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Weeks before the adaptation hit movie theaters, it was screened at Morehouse College in Atlanta, John David’s alma mater. Ronda Racha Penrice, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2024 Harris will be at her college alma mater Howard University, while Trump will be watching from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024 Your guide to polling sites, mail-in deadlines, more Harris is in Washington, D.C., and plans to celebrate election night at Howard University, her alma mater. Terry Moseley, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024 On election night, Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), will attend a watch party at Howard University, Harris’s alma mater, in Washington. Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for alma mater 

Word History

Etymology

Latin, fostering mother

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of alma mater was in 1650

Dictionary Entries Near alma mater

Cite this Entry

“Alma mater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alma%20mater. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

alma mater

noun
al·​ma ma·​ter ˌal-mə-ˈmät-ər How to pronounce alma mater (audio)
: 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

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