alumna

[ uh-luhm-nuh ]
See synonyms for: alumnaalumnae on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural a·lum·nae [uh-luhm-nee]. /əˈlʌm ni/.
  1. a woman who is a graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university.

Origin of alumna

1
An Americanism dating back to 1840–45; from Latin: literally, “foster daughter, pupil”; feminine of alumnus

usage note For alumna

What's the difference between alumna, alumnus, and alum? See alumnus.

Words that may be confused with alumna

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use alumna in a sentence

  • Then there were addresses by alumnae students, or else speakers from abroad chosen for some distinction in authorship.

    Earliest Years at Vassar | Frances A. Wood

British Dictionary definitions for alumna

alumna

/ (əˈlʌmnə) /


nounplural -nae (-niː)
  1. mainly US and Canadian a female graduate of a school, college, etc

Origin of alumna

1
C19: feminine of alumnus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012