1
as in marriage
a ceremony in which two people are united in matrimony the expected espousal of the Hollywood actor and the singing superstar should attract the elite of show business

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2
as in engagement
the act or state of being engaged to be married considering how long her previous marriage lasted, she'd be wise to have an extended espousal

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of espousal The tradition is an espousal of values, holding space for connection and unhurried conversation. Olivia Schellenberg, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2024 The 24-year-old is part of a community of women who have gained popularity — and notoriety — online for their espousal of what can feel like antiquated dating guidance. Angela Yang, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024 He has been both praised and widely criticized for his espousal of the necessity of traditional gender roles. David Marchese David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2023 Urged on by the president, whose espousal of conspiracy theories has only intensified in the waning weeks of his campaign, QAnon adherents are pushing such ideas into the conservative mainstream alongside more traditional issues like low taxes and limited government. Matthew Rosenberg, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2020 This meaning was intensified by the state’s staunch espousal of a unified French cultural and social identity, in opposition to multiculturalism. Time, 19 May 2021 First elected to Congress in 2020, Greene drew criticism for her espousal of extremist beliefs and using racist and antisemitic rhetoric. Shannon Larson, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Jan. 2023 Spotify’s Joe Rogan controversy—with musicians and podcasters removing their material from the platform in protest of Rogan’s espousal of COVID vaccine misinformation—is exposing cracks in its content strategy. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 3 Feb. 2022 Lev Tahor’s choice of Iran is perhaps connected to its espousal of anti-Zionism. Asaf Shalev, sun-sentinel.com, 10 Nov. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espousal
Noun
  • Cruise’s three high-profile marriages — to Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes — all ended in divorce.
    Skyler Trepel, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025
  • Other Republican lawmakers said their opposition to the marriages was a moral issue.
    Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 13 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Her engagement to May, made in front of both their families, was also shown on the episode.
    Chris Jordan, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
  • In the meantime, however, Sewell knows he’s uncovered an engagement goldmine in Paloma Diamond.
    Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Couples can leave Lebanon to secure civil marriages, but such destination weddings, even in nearby Cyprus, are expensive.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
  • In 2015, the Superman Returns actor mused to the New York Times about the idea of turning the countryside property into a wedding venue catered to those with an idiosyncratic sense of humor that matches her own.
    Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 25 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Espousal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espousal. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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