morale

noun

mo·​rale mə-ˈral How to pronounce morale (audio)
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 Too few breaks from work can cause burnout, fatigue, poor morale and lower job satisfaction. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 This discomfort can lead to serious workplace disruptions—four out of 10 U.S. employees say politics have affected team morale, and that number grows even higher for younger workers. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 The nation also faced an adversary at home: rumors that undermined morale, sowed distrust of the U.S.’s laws and leaders, and turned Americans against each other based on racial and religious differences. Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 By 1780, when the war was dragging and morale was low, Arnold was serving as commander of New York’s lower Hudson region, which included the military fortification at West Point. Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024 A lot of talk swirls around keeping employee morale high and supporting the mental health for workers. Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The battlefield defeat, along with declining morale — exacerbated by the United States’s failure to continue supplying ammunition — might give the Kremlin’s formations an opportunity to exploit the situation on the ground. Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The city’s Police Department was depleted of officers and morale. Rick Rojas, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Zelensky has long tried to control public messaging about the state of the war to preserve public morale. Siobhán O'Grady, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'morale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of morale was in 1752

Dictionary Entries Near morale

Cite this Entry

“Morale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morale. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

morale

noun
mo·​rale mə-ˈral How to pronounce morale (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on morale

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