morale

noun

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

Origin:
1745–55; < French, noun use of feminine of moral moral

Can be confused: moral, morale (see synonym study at moral).

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World English Dictionary

morale (mɒˈrɑːl)

—n
	the degree of mental or moral confidence of a person or group; spirit of optimism

[C18: morals, from French, n. use of moral (adj)]

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Relevant Questions

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Morale is always a great word to know.

So is interrobang. Does it mean:

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

morale

1752, "moral principles or practice," from Fr. morale "morality, good conduct," from fem. of O.Fr. moral "moral" (see moral (adj.)). Meaning "confidence" (especially of military) first recorded 1831, from confusion with Fr. moral (Fr. distinguishes le moral "temperament" and la morale "morality").

Example sentences

The mutt quickly becomes a base mascot, and morale booster, for the whole unit.

The character and morale of official methods must be improved.

Tests show that occasional trips to the cooler improve both morale and day's

output.

Unless a lad's morale is good, you can't expect his morals to be good.

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demoralize jack point shot sixth column

Matching Quote

"The theater is a baffling business, and a shockingly wasteful one when you consider that people who have proven their worth, who have appeared in or been responsible for successful plays, who have given outstanding performances, can still, in the full tide of their energy, be forced, through lack of opportunity, to sit idle season after season, their enthusiasm, their morale, their very talent dwindling to slow gray death. Of finances we will not even speak; it is too sad a tale."

-Ilka Chase

morale

mo·rale