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

Miami arrived in Los Angeles as the team to beat, with high morale and ambition to defend its title. —Jad El Reda columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026

Despite a spirited 3–2 win away at Crystal Palace that briefly boosted morale, Burnley remain stuck in the relegation zone. —Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026

The move delivered a major boost to Ukraine’s morale and slowed down Russian advances along the eastern front. —Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026

When leadership is visible and responsive, morale improves and incidents decline. —Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 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
• 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