morale
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of morale
First recorded in 1745–55; from French, noun use of feminine of moral “custom”; see origin at moral
Explanation
Morale is the spirit a group has that makes them want to succeed. It's a sense of well-being that comes from confidence, usefulness, and purpose. We often talk about the morale of groups in tough situations, and we can describe them as having "good morale" or "low morale." If too many members of a combat unit are killed and the surviving soldiers start to doubt they’ll make it home alive, then their morale is very very low. We can also talk about individual morale. In order to succeed, a sailor on a solo trip around the world needs plenty of ways to keep her morale up.
Vocabulary lists containing morale
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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The Things They Carried
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Stargirl
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Key issues include jail deaths, low morale among deputies, recruitment struggles and the proper role of oversight in the department.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
But a massive ramp-up in defence and infrastructure spending may be offsetting the conflict's impact and helping to bolster business morale, analysts said.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
She recently had performance psychologist Michael Gervais, known for his work with Microsoft and the Seattle Seahawks, run a workshop for about 170 top WPP leaders to rebuild executives’ confidence and agency morale.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
The players have looked fed up as well - morale, confidence, belief and team spirit is at rock bottom and there was no way that Still was going to survive this.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
In spite of his anxiety, he tried to keep up the appearance of calm in order to maintain morale.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
