espousal

American  

[ih-spou-zuhl, -suhl] / ɪˈspaʊ zəl, -səl /

noun

1. adoption or advocacy, as of a cause or principle.

2. Sometimes espousals.

   1. a marriage ceremony.

   2. an engagement or betrothal celebration.

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espousal British  

/ ɪˈspaʊzəl /

noun

1. adoption or support

   an espousal of new beliefs

2. archaic (sometimes plural) a marriage or betrothal ceremony

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonespousal
  noun

Etymology

Origin of espousal

1275–1325; Middle English espousaille < Middle French, Old French espousailles < Latin spōnsālia (noun use of neuter plural of spōnsālis ), equivalent to spōns ( us ) spouse + -ālia -al ²

Explanation

When you speak up in favor of something or support a cause, that's espousal. Your espousal of energy conservation can be seen in your electric car and the solar panels on your house. Espousal of one political candidate over another can be expressed with a sign in your yard or a big financial contribution to the campaign. During a debate, each person adopts the espousal of one strong viewpoint and then they argue with each other. In the old days, an espousal was an engagement or a wedding — gaining a spouse, in other words. This is the original meaning, with the figurative "married to principles" definition dating from about 1670.