ALUMNA Definition & Meaning

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alumna

[ uh-luhm-nuh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural alumnae

a woman who is a graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university.

alumna

/ əˈ��ʌ��ə /

noun

a female graduate of a school, college, etc

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Gender Note

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

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of alumna¹

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

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of alumna¹

C19: feminine of alumnus

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The Disney Channel and “Dancing With the Stars” alumna confirmed Sunday that she had welcomed her first child, a baby named Kasai.

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The “Gossip Girl” alumna, who is married to the “Nobody Wants This” actor, reportedly lost the Pacific Palisades home that they purchased in 2019, according to TMZ and the Daily Mail.

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The “Community” alumna and “JD’s Place” actor Davis said their “I do’s” on Saturday at the Maybourne Beverly Hills, Brown announced in a series of Instagram posts Sunday evening and Monday morning.

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“And in that way, writing a book is nothing short of an act of kindness,” the “SNL” alumna added.

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Disney Channel alumna Skai Jackson is all grown up and starting a family of her own.

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Alumna Vs. Alumnae Vs. Alumnus Vs. Alumni Vs. Alum

What’s the difference between alumna, alumnus, and alumni?

An alumna is a female graduate of a school, such as a high school or university.

In Latin, alumnus specifically refers to a male graduate, and sometimes this distinction is carried into English. However, alumnus is also commonly used in a gender-neutral way, as is its plural, alumni.

What is the plural of alumna?

The plural of alumna is alumnae. This follows the plural ending construction used in other Latin-derived words, like antenna and antennae.

The informal shortening alum is used to refer to a single graduate (regardless of gender). It’s sometimes pluralized as alums.

Here’s an example of alumna and alumnae used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: As an alumna, you share something with all of the alumnae, regardless of when each of you graduated.

Want to learn more? Read the breakdown of the difference between alumnus and alumni.

Quiz yourself on alumna vs. alumnae!

Should alumna or alumnae be used in the following sentence?

The five-year reunion is usually well attended by _____.

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