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

Nehls is just the latest in an exodus of Republican lawmakers from Congress, a phenomenon credited to low morale among the caucus. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 29 Nov. 2025

Constant monitoring often leads to anxiety, stress, and lowered morale, especially when employers lack transparency about data collection. —Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

Projects stall, remaining employees scramble to fill the gaps, and overall morale takes a hit. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025

His trip was planned before Levy’s exit, but sources noted that Royall was in the city in an effort to boost morale. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025

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