espouse
Americanverb
-
to adopt or give support to (a cause, ideal, etc)
to espouse socialism
-
archaic (esp of a man) to take as spouse; marry
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have espousedperfect
-
has espousedperfect 3rd person singular
-
are espousingprogressive
-
is espousingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been espousingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
espousingparticiple
-
am espousingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been espousingperfect progressive
-
espousessingular 3rd person
Past
-
had espousedperfect
-
was espousingprogressive singular
-
were espousingprogressive plural
-
had been espousingperfect progressive
-
espousedsimple
-
espousedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of espouse
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French espouser , from Latin spōnsāre “to betroth, espouse”
Explanation
Use the verb espouse to describe the actions of someone who lives according to specific beliefs, such as your friends who espouse environmentalism and as a result walk whenever possible instead of taking the car. You can see the word spouse in espouse, so you may be wondering what husbands and wives have to do with it. Originally espouse did mean "to marry," but its meaning has evolved to include other long-term commitments as well, such as support for a principle or a cause. Similar to marriage, if you espouse a belief system, the idea is that you've chosen to wed yourself to it.
Vocabulary lists containing espouse
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Fast Food Nation
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
