espouse

verb

es·​pouse i-ˈspau̇z 

 also  -ˈspau̇s

espoused; espousing

transitive verb

1

: marry

2

: to take up and support as a cause : become attached to

espouser noun

Did you know?

Commit to Learning the History of Espouse

As you might guess, the words espouse and spouse are hitched, both coming from the Latin verb spondēre, meaning “to promise” or “to betroth.” In fact, the two were once completely interchangeable, with each serving as a noun meaning “a newly married person” or “a husband or wife” and also as a verb meaning “to marry.” Their semantic separation began when the noun espouse fell out of use. Nowadays, espouse is most often encountered as a verb used in the figuratively extended sense “to commit to and support as a cause.”

Synonyms

• marry
• match
• wed

Choose the Right Synonym for espouse

adopt, embrace, espouse mean to take an opinion, policy, or practice as one's own.

adopt implies accepting something created by another or foreign to one's nature.

forced to adopt new policies

embrace implies a ready or happy acceptance.

embraced the customs of their new homeland

espouse adds an implication of close attachment to a cause and a sharing of its fortunes.

espoused the cause of women's rights

Examples of espouse in a Sentence

The new theory has been espoused by many leading physicists.

Those espousing unpopular views were often excluded.

Recent Examples on the Web

Unauthorized migration to European Union countries dropped significantly overall in the first eight months of this year, even as political rhetoric and violence against migrants increased and far-right parties espousing anti-immigration policies made gains at the polls. —Renata Brito, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2024

For example, collaborations with chief procurement officers might espouse a total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective on sourcing investments and the development of new supplier selection and management strategies. —Jim Deloach, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024

The openly pro-Russian positions espoused by the far-right Alternative for Germany and far-left Reason and Justice parties, both of which made strong showings in last weekend’s regional elections, raise additional concerns. —Phillips P. O’Brien, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2024

As America’s Jewish spouse of a vice president, Emhoff led Passover celebrations at the White House and espoused support for Israel. —Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French espuser, from Late Latin sponsare to betroth, from Latin sponsus betrothed — more at spouse

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

espouse

verb

es·​pouse is-ˈpau̇z 

-ˈpau̇s

espoused; espousing

1

a

: marry entry 1 sense 2

b

: marry entry 1 sense 3

2

: to take up the cause of : support

espouser noun