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

But morale inside the House Republican caucus has been depressed, with Democrats − who need to pick up a net total of three seats to hold a majority in the lower chamber of Congress − looking likely to gain control of the House after the November elections. —Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

The scale measures teacher morale from -100 to +100. —Diana Lambert, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026

Keep messages kind to maintain morale. —Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026

That’s a version of the future Twins fans can dream on, no matter how low their morale and expectations are for this season. —Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 6 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