morale

noun

mo·rale | \ mə-ˈral

Definition of morale

1 : moral principles, teachings, or conduct

2a : 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

Free food provided by Amtrak has been served by crew members eager to help maintain the chipper morale. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Amtrak Train with 183 People On Board Has Been Stranded in Oregon Snow for 36 Hours," 26 Feb. 2019 At Burberry, in a vast show, Riccardo Tisci reframed and upgraded his memories of ’90s London; an endorsement of the great street and club styles, which helped raise morale the last time the British economy was down. — Sarah Mower, Vogue, "The Top 10 Shows of London Fashion Week Fall 2019," 20 Feb. 2019 The boosting of workplace morale requires doughnuts as often in luxe restaurants as anywhere else. — James Estrin, New York Times, "Discovering the Art of Craft," 19 June 2018 While such turnover is rarely good for morale or the crafting of coherent policy, a bigger problem lurks. — The Economist, "Personnel changes leave fewer checks on Donald Trump’s impulses," 28 Mar. 2018 That may be putting things mildly – the backbiting and infighting has reached the point where news reports talk of rock bottom morale. — Peter Grier, The Christian Science Monitor, "White House turnover: the appeal and the risks for Trump," 17 Mar. 2018 An article last year in the Lancet on the ethics of ketamine treatment for mental health warned that patients who find a dramatic improvement due to ketamine might face a serious fall in morale after the effects of the drug fade away. — J.p. Lawrence, San Antonio Express-News, "Ketamine could help veterans with PTSD, but clinics may be jumping the gun," 2 Feb. 2018 Stewart offered an optimistic assessment of morale in a cable dated Feb. 13, 1919. — WSJ, "Archangel Endnotes," 9 Nov. 2018 Hallgrimsson, a practicing dentist and long-time trainer of boys’ and girls’ teams at community sports clubs in Iceland, said morale in the team remains high since the Icelanders have already made history. — Derek Gatopoulos, The Seattle Times, "Iceland coach turns off cellphone to focus on Croatia," 25 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'morale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.