espouse

1 of 2

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

espouser

2 of 2

noun

es·​pous·​er

ə̇ˈspau̇zə(r), 

eˈ- also -au̇sə-

plural -s

: one that espouses

especially : supporter, partisan

an espouser of all good causes

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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 partner in marriage” and also as a verb meaning “to marry.” Their semantic separation began when the noun espouse fell out of use. Nowadays, espouse is almost exclusively encountered as a verb used in the figuratively extended sense “to commit to and support as a cause.”

Synonyms of espouse

Verb

• marry

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

Verb

The new theory has been espoused by many leading physicists.

Those espousing unpopular views were often excluded.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Originally then, a ‘cynic’ is simply someone who espoused the teachings of Antisthenes. — Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

And the people who espouse the belief are protected from those costs. — Rob Henderson, Washington Post, 21 June 2026

Trump’s backers continued to complain about the touchscreen voting machines, with some loyalists espousing wild conspiracy theories. — Kate Brumback, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026

But Pattie Gonia says their environmental work is now endangered by Patagonia, the outdoor-gear giant that has espoused similar environmentalist values. — Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for espouse

• allows
• aphthous
• arouse
• avows
• carouse
• endows
• eyebrows
• boughs
• bows
• brows
• browse
• cows

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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