Definition

1. Noun:
   • The spirit of a group that makes the members want the group to succeed: A feeling of pride, loyalty, and mutual commitment shared by the members of a group, fostering unity and a common purpose.

Usage

• Esprit de corps is used to describe the collective morale, enthusiasm, and devotion of a team, organization, or any cohesive group. It emphasizes the group's identity and the members' dedication to its success over purely individual interests.
• It is a formal term, often used in contexts like the military, sports teams, corporations, or any organization where teamwork and solidarity are crucial.

Examples

• The manager worked hard to build esprit de corps among the new employees.
• The unit's remarkable esprit de corps helped them overcome many difficult challenges.
• A strong sense of esprit de corps is essential for any successful sports team.

Advanced Usage

• "To foster/develop/build esprit de corps": To actively encourage and create a strong group spirit.
  • The retreat was designed to foster esprit de corps within the department.
• "Esprit de corps was evident/high/low": Used to describe the observable level of group spirit.
  • Despite the setbacks, the esprit de corps within the team remained remarkably high.

Variants and Related Words

• Morale (n): The confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or group. (Note: can refer to an individual or group, while specifically refers to the collective spirit binding a group.)
• Camaraderie (n): Mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.
• Team spirit (n): A feeling of solidarity among the members of a team. (This is a more common, less formal synonym.)

Synonyms

• Team spirit
• Group morale
• Solidarity
• Cohesion

Related Phrases

• "Band of brothers": A group of people united in a common cause with strong loyalty. (This is an idiomatic phrase conveying a similar idea.)
• "All for one and one for all": A motto expressing the principle of mutual support central to esprit de corps.

Noun

1. the spirit of a group that makes the members want the group to succeed