morale

noun

mo·rale mə-ˈral

: moral principles, teachings, or conduct

: 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.

: a sense of common purpose with respect to a group : esprit de corps

The ship's morale improved after two days of shore leave.

: 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.

Example Sentences

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 In an appearance last week at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said a default could affect the morale of troops, America’s reputation abroad, and even training exercises for deployments. —

Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 28 May 2023 Still, the Seminole Hard Rock's music-loving morale carries through even the tranquil guestrooms; the Sound of Your Stay signature in-room music amenity will sing you to sleep once you're bundled into the Egyptian cotton bedding custom-made for Hard Rock. —

Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2023 New look in turbulent time for team The Cardinals' new jerseys could provide a boost of morale that the players and fans desperately need during a turbulent offseason after the team finished 4-13 last season. —

Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2023 The most immediate will be the morale of the employees left behind, who no longer trust in their individual manager’s autonomy. —

Dan Hynes, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2023 But morale, an area in which Ukrainian fighters held an edge for much of the war, is becoming more of a challenge. —

Andrew E. Kramer Mauricio Lima, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2023 The sisters gave a radio address on BBC's Children's Hour, to boost morale. —

Sydni Ellis, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2023 Facility will boost police morale, supporters say The training center is set to be built on forested land that used to be a prison farm. —

Pamela Kirkland, CNN, 6 June 2023 The court system is riddled with yearslong delays and low morale as a workforce of about 650 judges struggles to keep up with the volume of immigration cases, leaving immigrants who have long lived illegally in the United States in limbo. —

Zolan Kanno-Youngs, BostonGlobe.com, 14 May 2023 See More

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

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Morale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morale. Accessed 9 Jul. 2023.

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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