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

Nearly two-thirds worry that rolling back these programs would drive people out the door and tank workplace morale. —Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

More recently, teacher morale and bureaucratic spending were cited as critiques of the former superintendent. —Amir Mahmoud, Arkansas Online, 30 June 2025

Nimmo said the club’s morale has stayed strong throughout this poor stretch. —Will Sammon, New York Times, 28 June 2025

There have been several reports showing DJS facilities are plagued with staffing shortages and severe morale problems. —Mikenzie Frost, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 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

Rhymes for morale

• canal
• chorale
• corral
• ghazal
• locale
• royale
• 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