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

Former football players coming up with bars that have lasting power near their alma mater is one of the themes of this list, and former Ole Miss defensive back Johnny Desler got started right after graduation in 1997. —The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025

Consequently, his alma mater is now where legendary Patriots coach Bill Belichick coaches. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025

Transferred to one of his father’s alma maters, Fordham or Wharton? —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025

Bray needs time, but his alma mater has precious little to offer. —Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 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