alumna

noun

alum·​na ə-ˈləm-nə How to pronounce alumna (audio)
plural alumnae ə-ˈləm-(ˌ)nē How to pronounce alumna (audio)
 also  -ˌnī
1
: a girl or woman who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university
an alumna of Smith College
2
: a girl or woman who is a former member, employee, contributor, or inmate
an alumna of a TV series

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Alumnus or Alumna?

Many people are comfortable using the word alumni to refer to someone who was a student of a particular school. However, others feel quite strongly that this is an error and that the following forms should be used: alumnus (for one male), alumni (for multiple males, or for a mix of males and females), alumna (for one female), and alumnae (for multiple females). The shortened form alum and its plural form alums began to be used in the 19th century. Initially, alum was widely viewed as highly colloquial or informal, but is increasing in use as a gender-neutral alternative.

Examples of alumna in a Sentence

a group of Harvard alumnae
Recent Examples on the Web Brandt—who was tapped for her job by the current director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, a Biden appointee and an Obama Administration alumna—is excluded. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 Rosario Burgos Santoyo, a distinguished alumna of the University of San Diego School of Law, entered her legal career with a deep passion for advocating for those facing familial challenges. Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 8 Oct. 2024 Boy Meets World alumna Danielle Fishel has revealed she has been diagnosed with early breast cancer. Denise Petski, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2024 On the most recent episode of Kinsey and fellow Office alumna Jenna Fischer’s re-watch podcast Office Ladies, the hosts dove into the 17th episode of the NBC sitcom’s final season. John Russell, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for alumna 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alumna.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, feminine of alumnus

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of alumna was in 1843

Dictionary Entries Near alumna

Cite this Entry

“Alumna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alumna. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

alumna

noun
alum·​na ə-ˈləm-nə How to pronounce alumna (audio)
plural alumnae -(ˌ)nē How to pronounce alumna (audio)
: a girl or woman who has attended or graduated from a particular school, college, or university

More from Merriam-Webster on alumna

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