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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
David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 19 July 2025
But in a talk at the European Astrobiology Institute's recent BEACON 25 conference in Reykjavik, astrophysicist Kevin Heng espouses the newfound notion of Geoastronomy.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Kapustin is a far-right figure who runs the Russian Volunteer Corps and has reportedly espoused Adolf Hitler's views.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
Synan has become a local expert on the heroin epidemic, after espousing treatment instead of jail.
—Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for espouse
Cite this Entry
“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espouse. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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