espouse
verb
transitive verb
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Commit to Learning the History of Espouse
As you might guess, the words espouse and spouse are related, both deriving 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 in the 18th century, when the noun espouse fell out of use. Nowadays, espouse is most often seen or heard as a verb used in the figuratively extended sense "to commit to and support as a cause." Spouse continued to be used in both noun and verb forms until the 20th century, when its verb use declined and it came to be used mainly as a noun meaning "husband or wife."
Synonyms
- marry
- match
- wed
Example Sentences
New York Times, 19 July 2022 Sure, there are people in the Democratic Party who espouse views that many view as radical. Frida Ghitis, CNN, 19 May 2022 People on TikTok may have their own incentives to espouse the virtues of permanent life insurance, including sponsorships or their own sales of these products. Robert Farrington, Forbes, 6 July 2022 Piker went on to espouse a viewpoint that’s proven unpopular online: Depp and Heard have both perpetrated forms of wrongdoing against each other. Washington Post, 5 May 2022 As the only European nation with territories and a military presence in the region, France was Europe’s leading voice for a China strategy less muscular than what the United States and some Asian powers have come to espouse. BostonGlobe.com, 23 Sep. 2021 As the only European nation with territories and a military presence in the region, France was Europe’s leading voice for a China strategy less muscular than what the United States and some Asian powers have come to espouse. New York Times, 23 Sep. 2021 As a result of Christian missionary efforts on tribal lands, some tribes espouse a blend of Christian and traditional beliefs and might lean conservative, van Schilfgaarde said. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 26 June 2022 Other institutions, like the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Cancer Society, espouse less intense recommendations, but Esserman said most major breast centers adopt the radiologists’ suggestion. Angus Chen, STAT, 30 June 2022 See More Word History
Middle English, from Anglo-French espuser, from Late Latin sponsare to betroth, from Latin sponsus betrothed — more at spouse
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
espouse
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- marry
- wed
- match
- engage
- commit
- affiance
- promise
- pledge
- betroth
Synonyms & Similar Words
- marry
- propose
- wed
- engage
- affiance
- promise
- commit
- pledge
- betroth
- remarry
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- divorce
- separate (from)
Synonyms & Similar Words
- adopt
- embrace
- borrow
- cultivate
- assimilate
- utilize
- take up
- follow
- incorporate
- imitate
- use
- usurp
- take on
- pick up on
- cherish
- absorb
- honor
- copy
- take over
- appropriate
- foster
- arrogate
- pretend
- domesticate
- heed
- naturalize
- assume
- nurture
- simulate
- treasure
- raise
- quote
- affect
- prize
- put on
- bring up
- rear
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- abandon
- relinquish
- forsake
- surrender
- give up
- reject
- renounce
- abjure
- repudiate
- spurn
- discard
- jettison
- disown
- throw out
- abnegate
- throw away
- junk
Synonym Chooser
The words adopt and embrace are common synonyms of espouse. While all three words mean "to take an opinion, policy, or practice as one's own," espouse adds an implication of close attachment to a cause and a sharing of its fortunes.
The words adopt and espouse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adopt implies accepting something created by another or foreign to one's nature.
The synonyms embrace and espouse are sometimes interchangeable, but embrace implies a ready or happy acceptance.