alumni
Americannoun
Usage
Plural word for alumni Alumni is the plural form of the singular noun alumnus. The plurals of several other words ending in -us are also formed in this way, such as fungus/fungi and cactus/cacti. Irregular plurals that are formed like alumni derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin. Specifically, alumnus is the masculine singular form in Latin and alumni is the masculine plural form. The feminine singular form in Latin is alumna and the feminine plural form is alumnae. Sometimes, this distinction is carried over into English. However, alumnus and alumni are both commonly used in a gender-neutral way in English. Alumni is sometimes treated as a singular noun. However, this is not considered valid in standard English, and alumni should be treated as a plural form.
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.
“We’ll handle the detailed process so you can focus on what’s important. Leave the headache and sea of confusing paperwork to us!” says the website for one such company, called Alumni Counseling Service.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Alumni now only have the illusion of choice in who guides their alma mater.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
For some, like North Carolina Alumni Association member Deborah Melvin, it was painful to witness even from home.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026
The main-stage campus commencement gatherings at Alumni Park, which began about 75 years ago, weren’t short on pageantry and old-world tradition going back decades.
From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2025
“Yale. Alumni admission interview. I applied early decision.”
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
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.
