morale
muh-RAHL
/məˈrɑːl/
The level of confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or group at a particular time.
Morale is a collective emotional state; it can be 'boosted' or 'crushed' by external events.
The story behind the word. Originally a French military term, morale referred to the mental and emotional state of soldiers. It entered English in the 18th century to describe the 'spirit' of an army before being adopted by the business world.
Word relationships
- spirit: Spirit is often more individual, while morale almost always refers to a group's collective energy.
- apathy: Apathy is a total lack of interest or enthusiasm, the opposite of high morale.
Commonly confused with
- moral: Moral (no 'e') relates to right and wrong; morale (with 'e') relates to mood and confidence.
Collocations
- boost morale
- low morale
- employee morale
Example sentences
- "The recent budget cuts have had a devastating effect on staff morale." Discussing the impact of layoffs.
Memory hook
Morale is the 'Moral' of the team's 'e'-nergy. Morale = Mental state of the group.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'moral' (the lesson of a story). Morale has an 'e' at the end and refers to mood.
Fun facts
- The spelling 'morale' with an 'e' was actually a mistake by English speakers trying to imitate the French pronunciation of 'moral'.
Related words
Also appears in
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