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

There are no must-wins in March or April, only morale boosts at the beginning of a marathon. —Chandler Rome, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026

Ninety percent of Walt Disney’s studio worked on morale-boosting. —Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026

The American Federation of Government Employees joined more than 30 unions this week in urging Congress to pass the Shutdown Fairness Act, warning that funding lapses undermined employee morale, recruitment and retention. —ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026

Longer-term impact Working without pay also takes a serious toll on morale, Henderson noted, saying that the latest episode could hamper TSA's ability to recruit and replace the hundreds of essential workers who have quit over the course of the latest government shutdown. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 27 Mar. 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