noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/məˈɹɑːl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, US:/məˈɹæl/
rhymes with -æl
CMU ARPABET:M ER0 AE1 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The mental and emotional state of a person or group, especially their level of confidence, enthusiasm, and loyalty with regard to a function or task.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
After the layoffs, morale was at an all time low; the staff were so dispirited nothing was getting done.
Morale is an important quality in soldiers. With good morale they'll charge into a hail of bullets; without it they won't even cross a street.
A morale-boosting exercise
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: esprit de corps
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
the spirit of a group that makes the members want the group to succeed
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: esprit de corps, team spirit
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: disposition, temperament
3
noun
Meaning 3
a state of individual psychological well-being based upon a sense of confidence and usefulness and purpose
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meh1-der. Proto-Italic *mōs Latin mōs Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin mōrālislbor. French moralebor. English morale Borrowed from French morale.
Across languages
Translations
66 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
رُوح مَعْنَوِيَّة
(rūḥ maʕnawiyya)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Armenian:
բարոյահոգեբանական վիճակ
(baroyahogebanakan vičak)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Belarusian:
дух
(dux)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Belarusian:
мара́льны дух
(marálʹny dux)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Bulgarian:
дух
(duh)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Bulgarian:
мора́лно състоя́ние
(morálno sǎstojánie)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Bulgarian:
мора́лен дух
(morálen duh)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Chinese Cantonese:
士氣 /士气
(si6 hei3)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Chinese Mandarin:
士氣 /士气
(shìqì)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Chinese Mandarin:
信心
(xìnxīn)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Czech:
morálka
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Danish:
moral
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Dutch:
moreel
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Finnish:
moraali
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
French:
moral
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Galician:
ánimo
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Galician:
disposición
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Galician:
moral
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Galician:
azo
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Galician:
folgo
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
German:
Moral
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Greek:
ηθικό
(ithikó)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Greek:
φρόνημα
(frónima)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Hebrew:
מוֹרָל
(morál)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Hebrew:
רוח קרב
(rúakh krav)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Hindi:
मनोबल
(manobal)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Hindi:
जोश
(joś)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Hindi:
हौसला
(hauslā)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Indonesian:
korsa
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Indonesian:
daya juang
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Indonesian:
moral
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Irish:
meanma
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Irish:
misneach
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Irish:
sprid
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Italian:
morale
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Japanese:
士気
(shiki)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Korean:
사기
(sagi)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Central Kurdish:
ورە
(wire)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Latin:
animus
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Persian:
روحیه
(ruhiyye)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Polish:
morale
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Portuguese:
ânimo
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Portuguese:
disposição
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Portuguese:
moral
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Russian:
дух
(dux)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Russian:
боево́й дух
(bojevój dux)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Russian:
настро́й
(nastrój)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Russian:
мора́льное состоя́ние
(morálʹnoje sostojánije)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Russian:
мора́льный дух
(morálʹnyj dux)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Sanskrit:
मनोबल
(manobala)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Scottish Gaelic:
meanmna
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Scottish Gaelic:
misneachd
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Scottish Gaelic:
spiorad
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Scottish Gaelic:
smior
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Shan:
ႁႅင်းၸႂ်
(héng tsǎue)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Slovak:
morálka
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Spanish:
ánimo
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Spanish:
disposición
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Swedish:
-moral
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Swedish:
stridsmoral
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Swedish:
arbetsmoral
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Tagalog:
katatagang-loob
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Ukrainian:
дух
(dux)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Ukrainian:
мора́льний дух
(morálʹnyj dux)
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Vietnamese:
tinh thần
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others
Welsh:
morâl
— the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others