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Alumnus or Alumna?
Many people are comfortable using the word alumni to refer to someone who was a student of a particular school. However, others feel quite strongly that this is an error and that the following forms should be used: alumnus (for one male), alumni (for multiple males, or for a mix of males and females), alumna (for one female), and alumnae (for multiple females). The shortened form alum and its plural form alums began to be used in the 19th century. Initially, alum was widely viewed as highly colloquial or informal, but is increasing in use as a gender-neutral alternative.
Examples of alumna in a Sentence
Johane Saintil, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Starting Paulina Otero jewelry and her inspiration Otero, a Kansas City Art Institute alumna, has a background in textiles and loves combining different textures.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee
updated March 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2026
Janine is the co-director of Litquake’s Lit Crawl and an alumna of several writing residencies including Hedgebrook, MacDowell, Mesa Refuge, WordSpace Studios, Vashon Artist Residency, In Cahoots, and the Mineral School.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, at Spelman, Vernice swiftly dives into a romance with her roommate, Joette, even as she gets set up with a wealthy alumna’s son, a lawyer eager to get married.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alumna
Cite this Entry
“Alumna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alumna. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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