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

Consider whether morale would improve if employees got to see more of you in person, and vice versa. —Karla L. Miller, Washington Post, 18 July 2024

But as the moon landing mission grows closer and government officials worry a failure on that front could hurt American morale — or worse, project weakness to Russian space race rivals — Kelly is ordered to stage a fake moon landing unbeknownst to Cole. —Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 10 July 2024

Sixty-five percent said the job ads had a positive impact on morale, and 77% reported an uptick in productivity among workers. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 27 June 2024

Its monthslong campaign to cripple Ukraine's electricity supply aims to sap public morale and deny energy to Ukraine's burgeoning arms industry. —arkansasonline.com, 26 June 2024

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

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