alumnus

a·lum·nus

A0235700 (ə-lŭm′nəs)n. pl. a·lum·ni (-nī′) A male graduate or former student of a school, college, or university.

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[Latin, pupil, from alere, to nourish; see al- in Indo-European roots.]Usage Note: Alumnus and alumna both come from Latin and preserve Latin plurals. Alumnus is a masculine noun whose plural is alumni, and alumna is a feminine noun whose plural is alumnae. Coeducational institutions usually use alumni for graduates of both sexes. But those who object to masculine forms in such cases may prefer using alumni and alumnae, alumnae/i, or the more casual alums. The word graduates also presents a gender-neutral alternative.

alumnus

(əˈlʌmnəs) n, pl -ni (-naɪ) (Education) chiefly US and Canadian a graduate of a school, college, etc[C17: from Latin: nursling, pupil, foster son, from alere to nourish]

a•lum•nus

(əˈlʌm nəs)

n., pl. -ni (-nī, -nē). 1. a graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university. 2. a former associate, employee, member, or the like. [1635–45; < Latin: foster son, pupil] usage: 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. Sometimes, to avoid any suggestion of sexism, both terms are used for mixed groups: the alumni/alumnae (or the alumni and alumnae) of Indiana University. While not quite equivalent in meaning, the terms graduate and graduates avoid both the complexities of the Latin forms and the use of a masculine plural form to refer to both sexes. The shortened form alum (plural alums) is another genderless option.

alumnus

, alumna, alumni - Alumnus and alumna stem from Latin alere, "to nourish or be nourished," now by a university; originally alumnus was a pupil and now it is a male graduate. Alumni refers to either sex.See also related terms for nourish.

alumnus

A man who graduated from a particular school, university or college.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

alumnus - a person who has received a degree from a school (high school or college or university)alumna, graduate, grad, alumIvy Leaguer - a student or graduate at an Ivy League schoolold boy - a former male pupil of a schoolbookman, scholar, scholarly person, student - a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines

alumnus

alumna (Chiefly U.S. & Canad.)noun graduate, valedictorian, past student, former student, graduand an alumnus of Edinburgh University

Translations

ex alunno