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

Just having Curry back and healthy means so much no matter the role — to the game on the court, yes, but also the mood and morale in the locker room. —ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026

The path back from COVID was fraught with all of the inevitable difficulties, but morale within the company’s workforce seems to have grown considerably worse as business returned. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026

Behind the frontlines, Pierre meets Francis, who is asked to find a way to boost morale, according to a synopsis from the producers. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026

The horizontal bar chart shows Navy Exchange's annual morale, welfare and recreation dividend, as a lump sum, from FY 2009 through FY 2024. —Gabrielle Fonrouge,ryan Baker, CNBC, 8 Apr. 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