alma mater

American  

[ahl-muh mah-ter, al-, al-muh mey-ter] / ˈɑl mə ˈmɑ tər, ˈæl-, ˈæl mə ˈmeɪ tər /

noun

alma maters plural

1. a school, college, or university at which one has studied and, usually, from which one has graduated.

2. the official anthem of a school, college, or university.

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alma mater British  

/ ˈmeɪtə, ˈælmə ˈmɑːtə /

noun

1. (often capitals) one's school, college, or university

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alma mater Cultural  

1. 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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alma mater Idioms  

1. 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]

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• alma maters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of alma mater

< Latin: nourishing (i.e., dear) mother

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alma mater

Before midshipman Lincoln Hedberg steps off the bandstand and the Herndon Climb ends, he takes the microphone and sings “Navy Blue & Gold,” USNA’s alma mater.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

Jaramillo said he will return to his alma mater for his master’s degree and has a data-science internship now.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

Elizabette Guecamburu, a bookkeeper who has a rare neuromuscular disorder, spoke at Monday’s rally and implored the governor to remember the teachings of their shared alma mater Santa Clara University, a Jesuit-led private school.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

I wouldn’t call it a pendulum swing, but at your alma mater, there’s real discussion happening right now at Dartmouth about what the purpose of different parts of the university are.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

In 1956, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Virginia Tucker’s alma mater, admitted its first black students, Bettye Tillman and JoAnne Smart.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• academy