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Meaning of alumnus in English:

alumnus

Pronunciation /əˈlʌmnəs/

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nounplural noun alumni/əˈlʌmnʌɪ/

  • 1A graduate or former student of a particular school, college, or university.

    ‘a Harvard alumnus’
    • ‘a mixture of news about the University and articles by alumni’
    1. 1.1A former member of a group, company, or organization.
      ‘a Royal Ballet alumnus’
      • ‘the Pop Idol alumnus revealed a hitherto hidden falsetto’

Usage

When used in the singular, alumnus (which is a male form in Latin) sometimes refers specifically to a male former student, with alumna being the corresponding female term, but the plural alumni generally refers to pupils or students of either sex. In the extended meaning ‘a former member of a group or organization’, alumnus may refer to either a man or a woman

Origin

Early 17th century Latin, ‘foster-son, ward, pupil’, from alere ‘nourish’.