Word
alumnus
Phoneticsalum·nus
US/əˈɫəmnəs/
UK/ɐlˈʌmnəs/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a former student of a school, college, or university. You use this word to describe someone who has finished their studies and left the institution.
n. a former student of a school, college, or university. Often used in formal or official contexts to refer to graduates.
Examples
“The university invited every alumnus to the graduation ceremony.”
“The college maintains a strong network of alumni who often return to give guest lectures or donate to the school.”
“While the term 'alumnus' is technically correct for a male graduate, many institutions now use the gender-neutral 'alum' to ensure inclusivity in their communications.”
Examples
simple
“The university invited every alumnus to the graduation ceremony.”
contextual
“The college maintains a strong network of alumni who often return to give guest lectures or donate to the school.”
complex
“While the term 'alumnus' is technically correct for a male graduate, many institutions now use the gender-neutral 'alum' to ensure inclusivity in their communications.”
Real-World Examples
“Guo's colleagues from the Institute of Optics who contributed to the research include Senior Scientist Subash Singh, alumnus Ran Wei '24 (PhD), PhD students Luheng Tang and Tainshu Xu, and Mingjiang Ma.” “CSU alumnus Alex Brown's family has farmed and raised livestock on the same property in Yuma County, Colorado, for 120 years.” “Back in Toronto, Habib, the alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre, was just finishing his first feature, Fat Lady Sriracha , when his life was cruelly cut short.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin alumnus (“foster child, nourished one”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/alumnus