alma mater

noun

al·​ma ma·​ter ˌal-mə-ˈmä-tər How to pronounce alma mater (audio)
1
: a school, college, or university which one has attended or from which one has graduated
went to a class reunion at his alma mater
2
: the song or hymn of a school, college, or university
"Hey, Harvard boy, sing your alma mater!" shouted an obnoxious producer.—Phil Kloer

Examples of alma mater in a Sentence

I visited my old alma mater last week.
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.
Where else, after all, but at one’s alma mater can a 40-year-old do a keg stand to rousing applause? — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 The 36-year-old former Penn State defensive back returned to his alma mater to help Matt Campbell in Happy Valley. — Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 By Monday, the conversation had crossed over from critical posts on social media to Riley’s coaching peers roasting USC, starting with his alma mater. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, the former president of my alma mater George Washington University, was fond of comparing college to vodka. — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for alma mater

Word History

Etymology

Latin, fostering mother

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of alma mater was in 1650

Rhymes for alma mater

See All Rhymes for alma mater

Browse Nearby Words

almain rivets
alma mater
alman
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Cite this Entry

“Alma mater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alma%20mater. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

alma mater

noun
al·​ma ma·​ter ˌal-mə-ˈmät-ər How to pronounce alma mater (audio)
: a school, college, or university that one has attended
Etymology

Latin, literally "fostering mother," from almus "nourishing" (from alire "to nourish") and mater "mother" — related to alimentary, maternal

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