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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.”
Examples of espouse in a Sentence
Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 June 2026
Iran’s new leadership also wanted to demonstrate that the more cautious policies espoused by the previous supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war, were no longer in play, Vakil added.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Inside Hawley’s stance Hawley’s predictions of the dangers of AI to American workers come as the Missouri Republican has, over the last several years, attempted to stake out pro-worker stances and eschew the traditional, business friendly positions espoused by some Republicans.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026
Kids will get the messages that Plensa espouses as quickly as adults, but this work is an easy, comprehensible introduction to how artists work, using surprising materials in inventive ways to make viewers consider the world differently.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for espouse
Cite this Entry
“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espouse. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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