alma mater

[ahl-muh mah-ter, al-, al-muh mey-ter] / ˈɑl mə ˈmɑ tər, ˈæl-, ˈæl mə ˈmeɪ tər /

NOUN

school from which one has graduated

Synonyms

STRONGEST

academy

WEAK

college institution old school place of graduation place of matriculation university

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Trevor Brown needs to beat his alma mater, Hart High, to win the Foothill League baseball title.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

During a 2024 commencement address to his alma mater at the University of Pennsylvania engineering school, Ternus relayed a story about making the Cinema Display, the first Apple product he worked on a quarter-century ago.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

We have no heirs and plan to leave our assets to an endowed scholarship at my alma mater, plus a smaller gift to a local university program.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

He has instituted a system closer to that of his alma mater, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where associates move less freely between working for different partners.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

She resigned from Langley and returned to her alma mater, Arkansas AM&N, for a masters degree in mathematics.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

alma mater

Example Sentences

Related Words