What does alumnae mean?
Alumnae are the female graduates of a particular school, college, or university, considered collectively; the word is the plural of alumna, just as alumni is the plural of alumnus. The term carries a distinctly formal, institutional register and appears most often in contexts such as alumnae associations, reunions, newsletters, and donor lists — especially those of women's colleges and formerly single-sex schools, where the feminine form remains standard. In wider usage, many institutions simply use alumni for graduates of any gender, making alumnae somewhat specialized but still meaningful as a marker of a shared educational lineage. The word derives from Latin, where an alumna was literally a foster child or pupil 'nourished' by another — the same root that gives us 'alma mater', meaning 'nourishing mother'. Knowing the distinction between alumnae and alumni signals familiarity with academic tradition and precise institutional vocabulary.
nounThe plural of alumna: women who have graduated from a particular school, college, or university, considered collectively.
- Female graduates of a particular institution, considered as a group.
- A single female former student of a school, college, or university (in the singular form alumna).
"The alumnae of the women's college return each June for their reunion."
"The alumnae association organizes mentoring programs for current students."
"She was named Alumna of the Year at the annual alumnae dinner."
Alumnae is itself a plural form — the plural of alumna, a female graduate. It is not further pluralized.
"The alumnae of Smith College include many distinguished writers and scientists."
In Latin, an 'alumna' was literally a foster child — someone 'nourished' by the school — which is why the same root gives us 'alma mater', meaning 'nourishing mother'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of alumnae
Alumnae comes from Latin, the feminine form of alumnus, meaning a foster child, ward, or pupil — literally one who is 'nourished' or 'reared' by another, derived from the verb alere ('to nourish'). The term was adopted into English academic usage to denote female graduates of a school or college, preserving the Latin feminine plural ending. Its cognates include alumnus and alumni, and the same nourishing root underlies 'alma mater', the affectionate name for one's school or university.
Related word forms
How alumnae is actually used
Strictly, alumnae is the plural of alumna (a woman graduate), while alumni is the plural of alumnus (a man) and also serves as the general mixed-gender plural. Many institutions now use alumni for all graduates regardless of gender, so alumnae appears chiefly in the context of formerly all-female schools and women's colleges. The singular is alumna; the anglicized informal forms 'alum' and 'alums' are common in everyday speech.
Easily confused with alumnae
Alumni is the mixed-gender or male plural form, while alumnae refers specifically to female graduates.