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

But by this stage, morale in the camp was through the floor. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 17 June 2026

Lawsuits also damage morale, increase turnover, and make recruitment even more difficult. —Kim Gorsuch, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026

Somewhere right now, one of your best people is asking an AI how to frame a restructuring announcement that won't crater morale. —Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026

In addition to the challenges with developers, there's slumping morale. —Jonathan Vanian,julia Boorstin, CNBC, 14 June 2026

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

Rhymes for morale

• canal
• chorale
• corral
• locale
• royale
• artisanal
• bal
• dal
• gal
• mal
• pal
• sal

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