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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
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Some evangelicals espouse prophecies in which warfare involving Israel is key to bringing about the return of Jesus.
—Tiffany Stanley, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
The messaging from Kennedy and his MAHA supporters espouse the health benefits of time spent outdoors and adequate sunlight, but that's altogether different than indoor tanning, says Susan Mayne, an adjunct professor at the Yale School of Public Health and a former FDA official.
—Will Stone, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
Next, Hathaway espoused the importance of hair and makeup to the crowd before asking Wintour to once again reveal the nominees.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 16 Mar. 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 26 Mar. 2026.
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