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

Moreover, morale in the South Florida office has sunk to a new low, partly because of Trump’s Justice Department firing prosecutors and forcing others to resign in key places, including Washington and New York City. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2025

The Impact Of Compassionate Leadership On Workplace Morale When employees feel valued beyond their work performance, morale improves. —Dr. Marita Kinney, Bcc, Msc.d, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

Alicia Glen, who was a deputy mayor for housing and economic development under Mayor Bill de Blasio, said that morale would suffer once again. —Emma G. Fitzsimmons, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025

This is likely to spark more conflict with federal employees and their unions, with workers telling Newsweek earlier this month that morale has fallen sharply since Trump returned to the White House. fairness meter fairness meter Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair. —Natalie Venegas, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 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