The plural of "alumni" is "alumni," while "alumna" becomes "alumnae." These terms refer specifically to graduates of an institution.
The words "alumni" and "alumnae" come from Latin, where they were plural forms. In English, we've kept their original plural meanings. "Alumni" refers to a group of male graduates or a mixed-gender group, while "alumnae" refers to a group of female graduates.
There are three key terms:
Many people mistakenly use "alumni" for both singular and plural forms, regardless of gender. For example, saying "He is an alumni" is incorrect-the proper term is "He is an alumnus." Similarly, "She is an alumna" is correct, while "She is an alumni" is not.
When writing about a university's graduating class, you might say: "The alumni network includes successful professionals from various fields." If referring to a group of women, you'd say: "The alumnae reunion was held last weekend."