alumna

noun

alum·na ə-ˈləm-nə

plural alumnae ə-ˈləm-(ˌ)nē

also -ˌnī

: a girl or woman who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university

an alumna of Smith College

: a girl or woman who is a former member, employee, contributor, or inmate

an alumna of a TV series

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Alumnus or Alumna?

Many people are comfortable using the word alumni to refer to someone who was a student of a particular school. However, others feel quite strongly that this is an error and that the following forms should be used: alumnus (for one male), alumni (for multiple males, or for a mix of males and females), alumna (for one female), and alumnae (for multiple females). The shortened form alum and its plural form alums began to be used in the 19th century. Initially, alum was widely viewed as highly colloquial or informal, but is increasing in use as a gender-neutral alternative.

Examples of alumna in a Sentence

a group of Harvard alumnae

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Warnock’s words were similar to his message earlier that day at a magnet school with a student body that is three-quarters Black and counts Diana Ross as an alumna. —

Philip Eliott / Detroit, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024 Shen, an alumna of the 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for venture capital, sourced ServiceTitan, the service management provider valued at nearly $10 billion, while at Bessemer. —

Alex Konrad, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Another alumna, Shaun Williams, is a bartender at Jewel of the South. —

Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 23 July 2024 Brandt—who was tapped for her job by the current director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, a Biden appointee and an Obama Administration alumna—is excluded. —

David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for alumna