alumnus
Americannoun
plural
alumni-
a graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university, especially a man.
As an alumnus of this university myself, I am proud to dedicate its new building.
-
a former associate, employee, member, or the like.
He invited all the alumni of the library staff to the party.
noun
Usage
What’s the difference between alumnus and alumni? An alumnus is a graduate of a school, such as a high school or university. The plural of alumnus is alumni (which follows the plural ending construction used in other Latin-derived words, like stimulus and stimuli).In Latin, alumnus specifically refers to a male graduate, and sometimes this distinction is carried into English, with alumna being used to refer to a female graduate. The plural of alumna is alumnae.Still, alumnus and alumni are both commonly used in a gender-neutral way.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 alumnus and alumni used correctly in the same sentence.Example: As an alumnus, you share something with all of the alumni, regardless of when each of you graduated. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between alumnus and alumni.
Gender
Alumnus (in Latin a masculine noun) usually 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 mixed gender groups 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. Some people use the less formal abbreviation alum and its plural alums to avoid the complexities of the Latin forms and their unfamiliar gender inflection. Others use the terms graduate and graduates, though they are not quite equivalent in meaning, to eliminate the use of a masculine plural form to refer to all genders.
Etymology
Origin of alumnus
First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin: “foster son, pupil,” equivalent to al- (stem of alere “to suckle, feed, support”) + -u- (from stem-vowel *-o- in interior syllable) + -m(i)nus, originally passive participial suffix, akin to Greek -menos; adult ( def. ), alimony
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He’s particularly interested in flag football — which will make its debut in the Los Angeles Olympics — and created a youth football league that counts among its alumni future NFL standouts C.J.
From Los Angeles Times
“To have a couple of alumni that were on that team here today, that’s really special, and I really want to compliment these guys for always having a sense of humility,” coach Cori Close said.
From Los Angeles Times
Amid the pressure, she tries to lean on her teammates and embody the advice of U.S. figure skating alumni who tell her simply “enjoy it.”
From Los Angeles Times
The school hired alumnus and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, who enjoyed immediate success last season when the Eagles won Division 1 section and Open Division state titles.
From Los Angeles Times
Students offered career mentoring to younger students, hosted a podcast and invited alumni back to campus to host workshops on career preparedness.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
