Moral and morale sound nearly the same, and are only a single letter apart. Still, they are not the same. Use these words accordingly:
- Morale is a noun that refers to “the amount of confidence and enthusiasm, etc. that a person or a group has at a particular time”.
- Moral is mostly an adjective that describes being “connected with principles of right and wrong behaviour”. As a noun, morals refers to “standards or principles of good behaviour”.
“Morale” / “moral”, used in sentences
| Examples: “morale”, used in sentences |
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| Morale amongst the players is very high at the moment. Staff are suffering from low morale. Another win would be good for the team’s morale. |
| Examples: “moral”, used in sentences as a noun |
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| Young people these days have no morals. The play was considered an affront to public morals. The question is one of manners rather than morals. |
| Examples: “moral”, used in sentences as an adjective |
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| The basic moral philosophies of most world religions are remarkably similar. He was a deeply religious man with a highly developed moral sense. The newspapers were full of moral outrage at the weakness of other countries. |
Morale, synonyms
- attitude
- mood
- resolve
- self-confidence
- spirit
Moral, synonyms
- ethical
- good
- honest
- noble
- principled
- proper
- righteous
Word origin (of morale/moral)
Mid-14c., “associated with or characterized by right behavior,” also “associated with or concerning conduct or moral principles” (good or bad), from Old French moral (14c.) and directly from Latin moralis “proper behavior of a person in society”.
Read about other misused words
Sources
- Oxford Learner’s Dictionary on “morale” and “moral”. Accessed 22 March, 2024.
