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Moral vs Morale

Definitions​

  • ‘Moral’ (noun) refers to the lesson or message that can be learned from something.
  • ‘Morale’ (noun) refers to the emotional or psychological state of mind of a person or group.

What’s the difference between ‘moral’ and ‘morale’?​

As they differ by just one letter, it can be easy to confuse these two words. But they mean completely different things, as defined above.

  • Note that ‘moral’ can also be used as an adjective which is synonymous with ‘ethical’ (e.g. ‘a moral choice’).
  • Its plural form (‘morals’) refers to moral practices or modes of conduct adopted by a person or group (e.g. ‘the morals and politics of China’).

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How they’re used​

Example sentences with ‘moral’

  • The moral of the story is highlighted in the last chapter.
  • Her decision was based on a moral judgment.

Example sentences with ‘morale’

  • Businesses adopted measures to boost employees’ morale.
  • High morale was correlated with higher productivity.