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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
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 20 May 2026
The Times has reviewed those writings, which espoused hate toward Muslims, Jews, Black people and Latinos and the LGBTQ+ community.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Copeland’s later political visibility also reflected a broader trend among charismatic and Pentecostal leaders in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, many of whom espoused Christian nationalism and became increasingly engaged in national politics.
—Rachel Cole, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 May 2026
Jim said Bank of America's negativity around Salesforce's AI positioning flies in the face of what CEO Marc Benioff has espoused.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 18 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espouse. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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