alumna
Americannoun
-
alumnae
plural
noun
Usage
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.
Gender
What's the difference between alumna, alumnus, and alum? See alumnus.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of alumna
An Americanism dating back to 1840–45; from Latin: literally, “foster daughter, pupil”; feminine of alumnus
Explanation
Alumna is the feminine form of "alumnus," meaning someone who graduated from a school. An alumna is a female graduate. This word sometimes means a graduate of either gender, but it's most commonly a woman who graduates from any school — whether grammar school, high school, college, university, or med school. Schools are often proud of a famous alumna, and there might be pictures on the wall to honor them. As an alumna, you might go back for school reunions. When you're talking about a group of graduates, the word is alumni, which usually means men and women.
Vocabulary lists containing alumna
Hunger of Memory
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The Bell Jar
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“What I was learning in my history class is what my video production project would be about,” said Andrea Altamirano, a Hollywood High School New Media Academy ’22 video production pathway alumna.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Later in the day, the match between the US and Paraguay in Los Angeles will be opened by performers including Katy Perry, Future, Brazilian singer-songwriter Anitta and Blackpink alumna and actress LISA.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
Annabelle is a proud Philadelphian and an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania as well as its student newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
The “Little House on the Prairie” alumna, 61, spoke out on Monday, issuing a statement of gratitude and reflection to the Instagram page of her lifestyle brand, Modern Prairie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026
Patients, with accompanying nurses, made their rounds of the stocked shelves, conversing in low tones, with the asylum librarian, an alumna of the asylum herself.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
They were ultimately swayed, he said, by appeals from more than a thousand of the camp’s alumnae loyalists and families eager for their daughters to return this summer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
The College of Charleston is nearly 70% female, and those alumnae opened up my understanding of this whole story.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2024
Padilla is one of two Bishop Montgomery alumnae on USC’s roster, joining guard Kayla Williams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2024
The petition had been launched by alumnae of Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, who opposed the liberal arts school’s plan.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 28, 2023
Not even Martha could make marzipan without almonds. alumnae.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
