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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
Made By History, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
That contrasts markedly with the ostensibly secular and pluralist vision of India espoused by the men who led the country to independence in 1947, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
At the time of Vallow's death, Vallow Daybell was espousing the belief that he was possessed by an evil spirit, the prosecution said.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025
Homeland Security has not picked up any Presbyterians accused of endorsing or espousing terrorist activity.
—Chloe Breyer, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espouse. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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