Standard Lemma guide

alumnus

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /əˈlʌmnəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 L AH1 M N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A male pupil or student.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A male graduate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A student of any gender.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A graduate of any gender.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a person who has received a degree from a school (high school or college or university)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: alumna, alum, graduate, grad

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: scholar, scholarly person, bookman, student

Narrower terms: Ivy Leaguer, old boy

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der. Proto-Indo-European *h2el-o-mh1no- Proto-Italic *alomanos Proto-Indo-European *h2el- Proto-Indo-European *-mno- Latin alumnuslbor. English alumnus Learned borrowing from Latin alumnus (“foster child, nourished one”).

Across languages

Translations

67 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: طَالِب (ṭālib) — a male pupil or student
  • Arabic: طَلَبَة (ṭalaba) — a male pupil or student
  • Bulgarian: питомник (pitomnik) — a male pupil or student
  • Czech: žák — a male pupil or student
  • Czech: student — a male pupil or student
  • Finnish: miespuolinen opiskelija — a male pupil or student
  • French: étudiant — a male pupil or student
  • French: élève — a male pupil or student
  • Galician: universitario — a male pupil or student
  • German: Student — a male pupil or student
  • Korean: 남학생 (namhaksaeng) — a male pupil or student
  • Malay: alumni — a male pupil or student
  • Persian: دانشآموز — a male pupil or student
  • Persian: دانشجو — a male pupil or student
  • Portuguese: aluno — a male pupil or student
  • Russian: учени́к (učeník) — a male pupil or student
  • Russian: студе́нт (studént) — a male pupil or student
  • Spanish: alumno — a male pupil or student
  • Arabic: خِرِّيج (ḵirrīj) — a male graduate
  • Arabic: خِرِّيجُون (ḵirrījūn) — a male graduate
  • Armenian: սան (san) — a male graduate
  • Bulgarian: възпитаник (vǎzpitanik) — a male graduate
  • Czech: absolvent — a male graduate
  • Finnish: miespuolinen alumni — a male graduate
  • French: diplômé — a male graduate
  • French: ancien élève — a male graduate
  • German: Absolvent — a male graduate
  • German: Ehemaliger — a male graduate
  • Persian: فارغالتحصیل — a male graduate
  • Polish: alumn — a male graduate
  • Portuguese: diplomado — a male graduate
  • Portuguese: graduado — a male graduate
  • Portuguese: egresso — a male graduate
  • Russian: выпускни́к (vypuskník) — a male graduate
  • Spanish: exalumno — a male graduate
  • Spanish: egresado — a male graduate
  • Arabic: طَالِب (ṭālib) — a student
  • Arabic: طَالِبَة (ṭāliba) — a student
  • Arabic: طَلَبَة (ṭalaba) — a student
  • Arabic: طَالِبَات (ṭālibāt) — a student
  • Czech: student — a student
  • Czech: studentka — a student
  • Finnish: opiskelija — a student
  • French: étudiant — a student
  • French: étudiante — a student
  • Georgian: სტუდენტი (sṭudenṭi) — a student
  • German: Student — a student
  • Hindi: पूर्वछात्र (pūrvachātra) — a student
  • Portuguese: aluno — a student
  • Swedish: student — a student
  • Swedish: studenter — a student
  • Arabic: خِرِّيج (ḵirrīj) — a graduate
  • Arabic: خِرِّيجَة (ḵirrīja) — a graduate
  • Arabic: خِرِّيجُون (ḵirrījūn) — a graduate
  • Arabic: خِرِّيجَات (ḵirrījāt) — a graduate
  • Czech: absolvent — a graduate
  • Czech: absolventka — a graduate
  • Finnish: valmistunut opiskelija — a graduate
  • Finnish: alumni — a graduate
  • French: diplômé — a graduate
  • French: diplômée — a graduate
  • Georgian: კურსდამთავრებული (ḳursdamtavrebuli) — a graduate
  • Hindi: पूर्वछात्र (pūrvachātra) — a graduate
  • Japanese: 卒業生 (sotsugyōsei) — a graduate
  • Swedish: alumn — a graduate
  • Swedish: alumner — a graduate
  • Thai: ศิษย์เก่า (sìt-gào) — a graduate
Real reading context

alumnus in complete knowledge articles