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  

/ ˈælmə ˈmɑːtə, -ˈmeɪtə /

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

It also counted Lucas’ alma mater, USC, among its neighbors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

The futuristic-looking museum was built on what used to be a parking lot next to the University of Southern California, the filmmaker's alma mater.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Cook’s fondness for his alma mater Auburn University, where he earned a degree in industrial engineering, periodically brings him back to campus for special events or football games.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in business journalism and grew up in the same town as her alma mater.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

The chairs in his study bear the logo from their alma mater, Yale, which Vic notes the family mispronounces as jail.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• academy