alumnus
[ uh-luhm-nuh s ]
/ əˈlʌm nəs /
noun, plural a·lum·ni [uh-luhm-nahy, -nee] /əˈlʌm naɪ, -ni/.
a graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university.
a former associate, employee, member, or the like: He invited all the alumni of the library staff to the party.
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Origin of alumnus
1635–45; < Latin: foster son, pupil, equivalent to al- (stem of alere to feed, support) + -u- (< stem-vowel *-o- in interior syllable) + -m(i)nus, orig. passive participial suffix (cf. adult, old), akin to Greek -menos; see phenomenon
usage note for alumnus
Alumnus (in Latin a masculine noun) refers to a male graduate or former student; the plural is alumni. An alumna (in Latin a feminine noun) refers to a female graduate or former student; the plural is alumnae. Traditionally, the masculine plural alumni has been used for groups composed of both sexes and is still widely so used: the alumni of Indiana University. Sometimes, to avoid any suggestion of sexism, both terms are used for mixed groups: the alumni/alumnae of Indiana University or the alumni and alumnae of Indiana University. While not quite equivalent in meaning, the terms graduate and graduates avoid the complexities of the Latin forms and eliminate any need for using a masculine plural form to refer to both sexes.
Words nearby alumnus
aluminum plant, aluminum silicate, aluminum soap, aluminum sulfate, alumna, alumnus, alumroot, alundum, alunite, alunogen, alure
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for alumni
British Dictionary definitions for alumni
alumnus
/ (əˈlʌmnəs) /
noun plural -ni (-naɪ)
mainly US and Canadian a graduate of a school, college, etc
Word Origin for alumnus
C17: from Latin: nursling, pupil, foster son, from alere to nourish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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