An alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine) of a college, university, or school is a former student. The plural is alumni for men and mixed groups and alumnae for women. The term is often mistakenly thought of as synonymous with "graduate."

The words are derived from the Latin verb alere, "to nourish," and literally mean "nourished one."

Sometimes used alum or alumn are informal, as is the gender-neutral plural equivalent alums.