alma mater

noun

al·​ma ma·​ter ˌal-mə-ˈmä-tər 

1

: a school, college, or university which one has attended or from which one has graduated

went to a class reunion at his alma mater

2

: the song or hymn of a school, college, or university

"Hey, Harvard boy, sing your alma mater!" shouted an obnoxious producer.

—Phil Kloer

Examples of alma mater in a Sentence

I visited my old alma mater last week.

Recent Examples on the Web

Scherzinger provides an annual scholarship to her alma mater, which honors a new performing arts student each year. —Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025

Penn State University's head football coach, James Franklin, as well as a mix of current and former football players from Clifford's alma mater, including: Journey Brown, Dominic DeLuca, and Liam Clifford, showed their support too. —Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 30 June 2025

That choice has seemingly paid off: she’s landed a full-time teaching job at her alma mater, following in the footsteps of the charming instructor who’d advised her on her thesis, a guy with a name straight out of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Preston Decker (Louis Cancelmi). —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 June 2025

And where, in 1988, I was invited to be the commencement speaker at my alma mater. —Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, fostering mother

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for alma mater

• annunciator
• imprimatur
• underwater
• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater

Kids Definition

alma mater

noun

al·​ma ma·​ter ˌal-mə-ˈmät-ər 

: a school, college, or university that one has attended

Etymology

Latin, literally "fostering mother," from almus "nourishing" (from alire "to nourish") and mater "mother" — related to alimentary, maternal