morale

noun

mo·​rale mə-ˈral 

1

: moral principles, teachings, or conduct

2

a

: the mental and emotional condition (as of enthusiasm, confidence, or loyalty) of an individual or group with regard to the function or tasks at hand

The team's morale is high.

b

: a sense of common purpose with respect to a group : esprit de corps

The ship's morale improved after two days of shore leave.

3

: the level of individual psychological well-being based on such factors as a sense of purpose and confidence in the future

The failure of his play did not affect his morale.

Examples of morale in a Sentence

The team is playing well and their morale is high.

The President's speech boosted the morale of the troops.

Recent Examples on the Web

The true reason of growing desertions lays in low morale and patriotism of recent conscripts who never wanted to defend their homeland and were caught and forced to do that. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025

Moreover, lengthy border deployments have proven bad for morale at a time when the military is experiencing unprecedented recruitment and retention challenges. —Elizabeth Goitein, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025

Moreover, cultivating a workplace culture that genuinely respects personal time—by discouraging after-hours communications and promoting boundaries between work and home life—can significantly enhance employee morale and job satisfaction. —Jack Kelly, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Meanwhile, the University of Utah’s Han said data shows that there’s a strong correlation between teachers’ pay, teachers’ morale, and student performance. —Ikram Mohamed, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

in sense 1, from French, from feminine of moral, adjective; in other senses, modification of French moral morale, from moral, adjective

First Known Use

1752, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

morale

noun

mo·​rale mə-ˈral 

: the mental and emotional condition (as of enthusiasm, spirit, or loyalty) of an individual or a group with regard to a task or goal to be accomplished