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Is it acceptable to use alum for alumnus or alumna?
The words that we have used to refer to people who have attended or graduated from a school, college, or university have changed a bit over the past several centuries. Traditionally, the word alumnus has been used to refer to a single male, whereas alumna has been used for a single woman. Initially the plural forms were alumni to refer to multiple men (or multiple men and women) and alumnae for multiple women. A little over a hundred years ago the shortened form of alum began to be used to describe a graduate or past attendee of either gender. Although many people feel that alum is informal, it is in increasing use, and we appear to be moving toward a greater acceptance of the word. The plural of alum is alums.
Examples of alum in a Sentence
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
After directing her first film – which centers on a woman’s life list – Elmhurst University alum Alyssa De Jesus likely was thrilled to be able to check something off on her own list.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Turns out, Stossel was a Princeton alum and a donor to Princeton in Africa.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Less than a year ago (in March 2025, before Prada announced its intentions to buy the label), Versace named Dario Vitale – himself a Prada alum, having worked for its brainy brand Miu Miu for over a decade – as its creative director after Donatella Versace stepped aside.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alum
Cite this Entry
“Alum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alum. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
alum
noun
called also potassium alum
called also ammonia alum, ammonium alum
