demoralization
demoralization Lexical Profile
demoralization Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The action of depriving someone of spirit, courage, or discipline, or the state of having lost confidence, hope, and enthusiasm.
"Repeated budget cuts and layoffs led to widespread demoralization among the research staff."
The corruption or undermining of moral principles, ethical standards, or social order.
"The historian argued that prolonged economic hardship contributed to the gradual demoralization of civic institutions."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary usage, 'demoralization' almost always refers to a loss of morale, confidence, or enthusiasm rather than a corruption of ethical standards, though the older moral sense still appears in historical or sociological texts.
• Rhymes for demoralization
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from French 'démoralisation', coined during the French Revolution by the lexicographer Noah Webster and French writers to describe the undermining of either public morals or military morale.