alumnus

noun alum·nus \ ə-ˈləm-nəs \

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of alumnus

plural alumni play \-ˌnī\

1 : a person who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university

an alumnus of Columbia University

—usually used of a man in the singular but often of men and women in the plural

2 : a person who is a former member, employee, contributor, or inmate

a Saturday Night Live alumnus

See alumnus defined for English-language learners

See alumnus defined for kids

Examples of alumnus in a Sentence

Her parents are alumni of the state university.

Recent Examples of alumnus from the Web

Running for office after working in the White House isn't unique to Obama alumni.

— hunter schwarz, CNN, "The quest to build a million Obamas," 6 May 2018
Houston's resignation has caused students, alumni, and the community in Williamston, South Carolina, to advocate for the district to rehire her.

— araceli cruz, Teen Vogue, "South Carolina High School Teacher Resigns Following Viral Video Showing Her Pulling Student’s Hair," 4 May 2018
Guter, who started as president and dean in 2009, conveyed his decision to alumni, faculty and staff in emails this week.

— lindsay ellis, Houston Chronicle, "South Texas College of Law Houston president to step down," 2 May 2018
The art created by students and alumni of Woodstock Academy will now hang in the Gallery at the school's Center for the Arts.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Gallery To Showcase Student, Alumni Art," 2 May 2018
There is no playbook for what to do next, and any emotions students or alumni feel pale in comparison to those of the survivors.

— michelle r. martinelli, For The Win, "True Michigan State fans should want the school to accept responsibility for its horrific failures," 26 Apr. 2018
Amherst officials said the 72-acre Mount Ida campus, which comes with dorms, laboratories, and sports fields, will also help fund-raising by having a facility closer to alumni in the city.

— laura krantz, BostonGlobe.com, "Baker criticizes Mount Ida leadership after college’s sudden closure," 11 Apr. 2018
Students and alumni gather at the UMBC commons to cheer the Retrievers in Sunday night’s game against Kansas State.

— rich scherr, baltimoresun.com, "Three weeks after NCAA tournament shocker, UMBC men's lacrosse stuns No. 1 Albany, 11-7," 7 Apr. 2018
The ensemble tours the world and has access to famous and powerful Yale alumni.

— pat eaton-robb, Cosmopolitan, "Yale's All-Male Glee Club Will Now Admit Women, Gender Non-Conforming Singers," 12 Feb. 2018

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

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.

Origin and Etymology of alumnus

Latin, foster son, pupil, from alere to nourish — more at old

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1645

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

ALUMNUS Defined for English Language Learners

alumnus

noun

Definition of alumnus for English Language Learners

: someone who was a student at a particular school, college, or university

ALUMNUS Defined for Kids

alumnus

noun alum·nus \ ə-ˈləm-nəs \

Definition of alumnus for Students

plural alumni \-ˌnī\

: a person who has attended or has graduated from a school, college, or university

Learn More about alumnus

Spanish Central: Translation of alumnus Nglish: Translation of alumnus for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of alumnus for Arabic speakers

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alumnus

Definition of alumnus

Examples of alumnus in a Sentence

Recent Examples of alumnus from the Web

Alumnus or Alumna?

Origin and Etymology of alumnus

Other Education Terms

ALUMNUS Defined for English Language Learners

alumnus

Definition of alumnus for English Language Learners

ALUMNUS Defined for Kids

alumnus

Definition of alumnus for Students

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Origin and Etymology of alumnus

Other Education Terms

ALUMNUS Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of alumnus for English Language Learners

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Definition of alumnus for Students

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