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

However, the prolonged deployment raised concerns amid reports of health issues, deteriorating conditions aboard the warship, and low morale. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Russian forces have targeted civilian facilities in what Ukrainian officials say is an effort to disrupt daily life and sap public morale. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a statement Sunday prohibiting actions that harm public morale. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026

Those are police officers and people up high at CPD, literally calling me, meeting with us, telling us that morale’s at an all-time low. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 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