alumna

[ uh-luhm-nuh ]

noun

, plural a·lum·nae [uh, -, luhm, -nee].

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

alumna

/ əˈlʌmnə /

noun

1. a female graduate of a school, college, etc

Gender Note

What's the difference between alumna, alumnus, and alum? See alumnus.

Word History and Origins

Origin of alumna¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–45; from Latin: literally, “foster daughter, pupil”; feminine of alumnus

Word History and Origins

Origin of alumna¹

C19: feminine of alumnus

Example Sentences

Local actor Jennifer Mendenhall gets the ball rolling performing Ruhl’s “An Uplifting High School Graduation Speech” in which an alumna lays out the facts.

From Washington Blade

It includes a cameo appearance by Virginia Tower Norwood ’47, the alumna behind the original Landsat multispectral scanner.

From MIT Technology Review

Laura Ball is a journalist-in-residence at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, a Thiel Fellow, and an alumna of the Math Prize for Girls program.

From Nautilus

The ‘SNL’ alumna is back with her first film since ‘Bridesmaids.’

From The Daily Beast

A WASP-y Smith alumna named Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) has a lesbian affair after college.

From The Daily Beast

"Women are expected to do everything, do it well, and look hot while doing it," one alumna told the commission.

From The Daily Beast

“You are buying into that network,” says one recent Harvard alumna.

From The Daily Beast

“They claim me as an alumna, though I did not alum,” she said.

From The Daily Beast

It was founded by an alumna for marked proficiency in English with general excellency in other lines.

From Project Gutenberg

To the alumna and the student, the picture called up by those words is sufficiently definite and demands no amplification.

From Project Gutenberg

A young alumna of the preceding class had welcomed the proud graduates.

From Project Gutenberg

A debate was sometimes introduced, a Shakespeare reading, or an address by an alumna student.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alum
• graduate

Alumna Vs. Alumnae Vs. Alumnus Vs. Alumni Vs. Alum

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.

Quiz yourself on alumna vs. alumnae!

Should alumna or alumnae be used in the following sentence?

The five-year reunion is usually well attended by _____.