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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
Liza Esquibias, People.com, 13 Sep. 2025
The America’s Got Talent alum could be seen with a small smile on her face at several points of the video as hopeful music played in the background.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025
The partnership builds on last year’s Good Neighbor Marketplace activation, which highlighted a clothing brand launched by another HBCU alum.
—Quincy Green, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025
The Glee crew has faced losses over the years — including the deaths of core cast members Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera — but various alums have found time to reunite in different combinations since the show ended.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alum
Cite this Entry
“Alum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alum. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
alum
noun
called also potassium alum
called also ammonia alum, ammonium alum
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