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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.”
Examples of espouse in a Sentence
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 6 Aug. 2025
Red represents the traditional values, work ethic, economic opportunities, immigration controls and police protections no longer espoused by modern Democrats.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
One Day in Southport instead features other populist preachers like Carl Benjamin, a YouTuber who espouses the great replacement theory and once openly debated raping Labour lawmaker Jess Phillips.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 24 July 2025
David Ellison, who leads Skydance, has projected an image of being intrigued by the politics espoused by President Donald Trump, who Colbert and Stewart routinely skewer in monologues and commentary.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for espouse
Cite this Entry
“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espouse. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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