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alumna

[uh-luhm-nuh]
See more synonyms for alumna on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural a·lum·nae [uh-luhm-nee, -nahy] /əˈlʌm ni, -naɪ/.
  1. a woman who is a graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university.

Origin of alumna

1880–85, Americanism; < Latin: foster daughter, pupil; feminine of alumnus
Can be confusedalum 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. 2018

Related Words for alumnae

alum, postgraduate

Examples from the Web for alumnae

Contemporary Examples of alumnae

  • In the last 10 months, four alumnae in their mid 50s and 60s have been attacked at night in their homes near Dallas.

    The Daily Beast logo
    Stalking the Sorority Sisters

    Christine Pelisek

    October 26, 2011

Historical Examples of alumnae

  • Up to 1876, for example, ninety per cent of the alumnae had married.

  • The Wellington banner, a gift from the alumnae, was also of silk in the soft blue which every Wellington girl loved.

  • Then there were addresses by alumnae students, or else speakers from abroad chosen for some distinction in authorship.

British Dictionary definitions for alumnae

alumna

noun plural -nae (-niː)
  1. 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
Word Origin and History for alumnae
n.

see alumnus.

alumna

n.

see alumnus.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper