Princetonian

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A student, alumnus, or member of the Princeton University community
2. Someone who attends, has graduated from, or is affiliated with Princeton University
3. A person connected to Princeton University as a student, graduate, or staff member

Etymology: Princetonian names a person connected with Princeton, the university in New Jersey, and it is built in the most ordinary way possible: the place name "Princeton" with the suffix "-ian" attached, the same ending found in words like "Lutherian" or "Parisian." The pattern marks someone or something belonging to or associated with the place, so a Princetonian is someone from Princeton or someone who studies or works there. The word's usefulness comes from the institution it names. Because Princeton is one of the best known universities in the United States, the term is often used in print to refer to its students, alumni, and staff without repeating the full name. It also appears as the name of the student newspaper, the Daily Princetonian, which shows how the term has become a recognised identity for members of the community.