alma mater

/'ælmə'meitə/

Thân thiện

She proudly displays her alma mater's pennant on her office wall.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The school, college, or university that one has attended and, typically, graduated from: The term "alma mater" refers to an institution of learning from which a person has received their education. It often carries a sense of pride, loyalty, and emotional connection.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Harvard University is my alma mater. (This means the speaker graduated from Harvard University.)
  • She made a generous donation to her alma mater. (This means she gave money to the school she graduated from.)
  • The football team returned to play a game at their coach's alma mater. (This means the team played at the school their coach graduated from.)

Advanced Usage

• Used figuratively for formative institutions: While most commonly used for universities, "alma mater" can sometimes be applied to one's high school, especially in contexts where it was a significant formative experience.
  • Although he earned his doctorate elsewhere, he always considered the small liberal arts college his true alma mater.

Variants and Related Words

• Alumnus/Alumna (n.): A male/female graduate or former student of a particular school, college, or university. (Plural: Alumni, Alumnae).
  • As an alumnus of Yale, he receives the university magazine.
• Alumni (n., plural): The collective body of graduates or former students of an institution.
  • The alumni association organized a reunion.

Synonyms

• One's old school: A more informal way to refer to the school one attended.
• Alma mater itself is the most specific and formal term; direct synonyms are rare as it is a fixed Latin phrase.

Related Phrases

• Alma Mater Society: A common name for student unions or governing bodies at universities, particularly in Canada.
  • He was elected president of the Alma Mater Society.

Related Idioms

• There are no common idioms using "alma mater" as a standalone phrase. Its usage is typically direct and literal, referring to the educational institution itself.

Học thuật

Noun

1. your alma mater is a school you graduated from