morale

American  

[muh-ral] / məˈræl /

noun

1. emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence, zeal, etc., especially in the face of opposition, hardship, etc..

   the morale of the troops.

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morale British  

/ mɒˈrɑːl /

noun

1. the degree of mental or moral confidence of a person or group; spirit of optimism

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Etymology

Origin of morale

First recorded in 1745–55; from French, noun use of feminine of moral “custom”; moral

Example Sentences

One of his special memories, he said, was seeing Vera Lynn, the wartime singer who travelled the world to entertain troops and boost morale.

From BBC

The turnover has led to rapid elevations for some commanders who are less experienced and are likely to be preoccupied with stabilizing morale and enforcing loyalty across the rank and file.

From The Wall Street Journal

General Jimmy Doolittle, told Miller that “your organization is the greatest morale builder” in the entire conflict, “next to a letter from home.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Employers have reason to be alarmed too — low morale and voluntary employee turnover is costly to businesses to the tune of an estimated $1 trillion per year.

From Salon

Smaller assault packages, meanwhile, could boost morale among protesters but ultimately not change the regime’s crackdown against dissenters, the officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• attitude
• mood
• resolve
• self-confidence
• spirit