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

Deadlines slipped, morale dropped and the team stopped trusting her judgment. — Terry Oroszi, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

With more than a quarter of CDC jobs lost and morale in free fall, current and former staff say rebuilding trust will depend less on rhetoric than on Schwartz’s next moves. — Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

If one person’s workload consistently becomes everyone else’s burden, morale and trust will eventually suffer. — Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

The Lincoln, which has been deployed for more than eight months, has been facing reports of widespread morale and mental health issues, as the conflict continues with no clear end in sight. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 17 Aug. 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
• locale
• royale
• artisanal
• 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