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alma mater
[ ahl-muh mah-ter, al-; al-muh mey-ter ]
noun
- a school, college, or university at which one has studied and, usually, from which one has graduated.
- the official anthem of a school, college, or university.
alma mater
/ ˈmeɪtə; ˈælmə ˈmɑːtə /
noun
- often capitals one's school, college, or university
alma mater
- The school or university from which one graduated. The term also refers to a school's official song: “The reunion began with everyone singing the alma mater.” From Latin , meaning “nurturing mother.”
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Word History and Origins
Origin of alma mater1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of alma mater1
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Idioms and Phrases
Also, Alma Mater . The school or college one attended and, usually, graduated from, as in During football season I always check to see how my alma mater is doing . This expression sometimes refers to the institution's official song, as in I never did learn the words to my college's alma mater . The term is Latin for “kind mother.” [c. 1800]Discover More
Example Sentences
The portrait of her that once hung at Oxford University, her alma mater, was quietly placed in storage.
George McDonald, the Wolfpack’s previous wide receivers coach, was recently hired at Illinois, his alma mater.
Luckily, Koney found work as a teaching assistant at his alma mater — a role that didn’t just put food on the table but also had him helping students build solar go-karts, robotic farm assistants and more.
She remembers a girl with a dream to attend the University of Virginia, the alma mater of her father, who died of cancer when Yeardley was in ninth grade.
The concerns of confirming Judge Barrett have also been expressed by former colleagues and peers from two of her alma maters, Rhodes College and Notre Dame Law.
For the first time since I put my acceptance letter in the mail, I woke up this morning ashamed of my alma mater.
He was disappointed to find out that his alma mater was not represented.
Do you know Richard Bargis, assistant professor of philosophy at your alma mater?
The Perfect Podium: When Kate arrived at her alma mater, St. Andrews, to give a speech, she was greeted by a podium waist-high.
A graduate of Mariana, Jonah has returned to his alma mater with a covert agenda.
And they sat her on a sofa and told her what they knew of her alma mater and her relatives and her character generally.
Three years later his alma mater conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts.
It was about a year and a half later that Kane had occasion to revisit the city of his Alma Mater.
As the good mother at home was to each student in that assembly, so was their dear Alma Mater to them all.
To educate a whole family of boys and girls at the "dear old alma mater" is now an exploded fancy.
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Related Words
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More About Alma Mater
What does alma mater mean?
An alma mater is the school, college, or university that someone has graduated from.
It’s most commonly used to refer to a college or university, but it can also refer to a high school.
The term is associated with pride in one’s school. It’s often used by those who network and keep in touch with other graduates and continue to identify as a graduate of the school after they have left.
The term alma mater can also refer to the official song of a school, college, or university.
Example: Since Jade graduated from Temple University, she has not stopped talking about her alma mater.
Where does alma mater come from?
The first records of the term alma mater come from the 1600s. The phrase is Latin and translates as “nourishing mother” (alma can also be interpreted as “dear,” “kind,” or “bountiful”). The English word mother is derived from mater.
What does a nourishing mother have to do with the school you graduated from?
The term Alma Mater was originally used in Ancient Rome as a way of referring to certain goddesses associated with nourishment, including Ceres and Cybele (Cybele was sometimes also referred to as Magna Mater, meaning “great mother”). Later, the term alma mater was applied to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Eventually, it was applied to schools and universities, presumably in reference to their role as places of intellectual nourishment. Relatedly, the word alumnus, referring to a graduate of a specific school, comes from the Latin word alere, meaning “to nourish.”
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for alma mater?
- school song
- school anthem
What are some words that share a root or word element with alma mater?
What are some words that often get used in discussing alma mater?
How is alma mater used in real life?
The term alma mater is typically used in reference to colleges and universities. It’s often associated with pride in the school where one graduated.
My alma mater is BEAUTIFUL 😍 https://t.co/cv3CHuBP9X
— brooklyn kay 🌺 (@b_kayyh) September 22, 2020
ATHENS – University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart and his wife, Mary Beth, will donate $1 million to their alma mater to support the UGA Athletic Association’s new social justice program.https://t.co/ZY5w2x56l0
— DawgPost (@Dawg_Post) September 17, 2020
“Neath the sun-kissed sky,
proudly stands our Alma Mater,
Banners high”I purposely waited for the sun to set so I could take this picture. Bill Wood, the composer of my school’s alma mater nailed it lyrically. pic.twitter.com/7mzNpHHOuX
— Jasher®️ (@jashercox) November 28, 2017
Try using alma mater!
True or False?
The term alma mater can refer to the high school that one graduated from.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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