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

The experience haunts Ortegas through the season, affecting her morale and pushing her even into outright insubordination. —Adam B. Vary, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025

This unconstitutional partisan politicization is poisonous to unit morale and discipline with long-term consequences for who serves and why. —Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

As seen on The Chrisleys, the incident took a toll on family morale. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Meanwhile, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that over half of public school leaders believe phones negatively impact learning and teacher morale, and over two-thirds believe there is a negative impact on student mental health. —Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 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