What does "alma" mean?
An Egyptian female singer or dancing girl employed for entertainment or as a professional mourner.
Alma
/ˈæl.mə/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An Egyptian female singer or dancing girl employed for entertainment or as a professional mourner.
- Grammar: alma is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: fostering, nourishing, nutritive, psyche.
- Useful contrasts: body, malnourishing, matter.
- Usage evidence: To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me.
How to use "alma"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "alma" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "alma" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "alma" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "alma" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "alma" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "fostering" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "alma", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An Egyptian female singer or dancing girl employed for entertainment or as a professional mourner.
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name from Latin, popular in the 19th century.
"Alma she called was, a virgin bright:/ That had not yet felt Cupides wanton rage,/ Yet was she woo'd of many a gentle knight […]"
- 2 Nonstandard form of ALMA, acronym of Atacama Large Millimeter Array. alt-of, nonstandard
- 3 Abbreviation of Atacama Large Millimeter Array (a telescope in Chile). abbreviation, alt-of
- 4 One of two prophets, the Elder and the Younger, and a book in the Book of Mormon. Mormonism
- 5 Places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Clarke County, Alabama.
Show 27 more definitions
- 6 Places in the United States:; A city in Crawford County, Arkansas.
- 7 Places in the United States:; A ghost town in Santa Clara County, California.
- 8 Places in the United States:; A statutory town in Park County, Colorado.
- 9 Places in the United States:; A city, the county seat of Bacon County, Georgia.
- 10 Places in the United States:; A village in Marion County, Illinois.
- 11 Places in the United States:; A ghost town in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana.
- 12 Places in the United States:; A small city, the county seat of Wabaunsee County, Kansas.
- 13 Places in the United States:; A city in Gratiot County, Michigan.
- 14 Places in the United States:; A small city in Lafayette County, Missouri.
- 15 Places in the United States:; A small city, the county seat of Harlan County, Nebraska.
- 16 Places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Catron County, New Mexico.
- 17 Places in the United States:; A town in Allegany County, New York.
- 18 Places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Ross County, Ohio.
- 19 Places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Stephens County, Oklahoma.
- 20 Places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon.
- 21 Places in the United States:; A town in Ellis County, Texas.
- 22 Places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Page County, Virginia.
- 23 Places in the United States:; A small city, the county seat of Buffalo County, Wisconsin.
- 24 Places in the United States:; A town in Buffalo County, Wisconsin.
- 25 Places in the United States:; A town in Jackson County, Wisconsin.
- 26 Places in Canada:; A village in Albert County, New Brunswick.
- 27 Places in Canada:; An unincorporated rural community of Pictou County, Nova Scotia.
- 28 Places in Canada:; An unincorporated rural community of Wellington County, Ontario.
- 29 Places in Canada:; A settlement in Prince Edward Island.
- 30 Places in Canada:; A town in Quebec.
- 31 A locality in the Shire of Central Goldfields, central Victoria, Australia
- 32 Former name of Boudouaou, Algeria.
Antonyms
Example
"To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "alma"?
Common synonyms include: fostering, nourishing, nutritive, psyche, soul, spirit.
How do you use "alma" in a sentence?
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me.
How do you pronounce "alma"?
Pronounced /ˈæl.mə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From colloquial Arabic عَالِمَة (ʕālima, “a singer”), originally a feminine adjective meaning learned, knowledgeable, from عَلِمَ (ʕalima, “to know”).
Etymology 2
Usually explained as Latin alma (“nourishing, kind”). It has also been used as a short form of Germanic compound names beginning with the element Amal-, as in Amelia.