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

Underly drew further criticism for skipping a state Capitol hearing on the issue to accept an award at her alma mater. —Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Forced to enroll at Nevermore Academy — her parents' alma mater for misfit monsters — Wednesday finds herself in the middle of a decades-long mystery, using her wit and psychic abilities to solve the boarding school's deepest, darkest secrets. —Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025

In 1978, the Kings rented a turn-of-the-century Colonial farmhouse in Orrington, Maine, while the author was a writer-in-residence at his alma mater, the University of Maine. —Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025

Wallace was new to the league after spending the last few years as an assistant coach at his alma mater. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 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