alumna

[ uh-luhm-nuh ]

/ əˈlʌm nə /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR alumna ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural a·lum·nae [uh-luhm-nee, -nahy] /əˈlʌm ni, -naɪ/.

a woman who is a graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university.

Nearby words

aluminum oxide, aluminum plant, aluminum silicate, aluminum soap, aluminum sulfate, alumna, alumnus, alumroot, alundum, alunite, alunogen

Origin of alumna

1880–85, Americanism; < Latin: foster daughter, pupil; feminine of alumnus

Can be confused

alum alumna alumnae alumni alumnus (see usage note at alumnus)

Usage note

See alumnus.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for alumna

The ‘SNL’ alumna is back with her first film since ‘Bridesmaids.’
Kristen Wiig on ‘Girl Most Likely’ and Why She Nixed ‘Bridesmaids 2’|Marlow Stern|July 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"Women are expected to do everything, do it well, and look hot while doing it," one alumna told the commission.
Princeton's Woman Problem|Evan Thomas|March 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
“You are buying into that network,” says one recent Harvard alumna.
Ivy League After Dark|Rebecca Davis O'Brien|March 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
“They claim me as an alumna, though I did not alum,” she said.
Melissa Leo Breaks Oscar Silence|Jacob Bernstein|February 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST

A debate was sometimes introduced, a Shakespeare reading, or an address by an alumna student.
Earliest Years at Vassar|Frances A. Wood
It was founded by an alumna for marked proficiency in English with general excellency in other lines.
Daddy Long-Legs|Jean Webster
To the alumna and the student, the picture called up by those words is sufficiently definite and demands no amplification.
Teddy: Her Book|Anna Chapin Ray

British Dictionary definitions for alumna

alumna

/ (əˈlʌmnə) /

noun plural -nae (-niː)

mainly US and Canadian a female graduate of a school, college, etc

Word Origin for alumna

C19: feminine of alumnus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012