espouse
Americanverb
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to adopt or give support to (a cause, ideal, etc)
to espouse socialism
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archaic (esp of a man) to take as spouse; marry
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has espousedperfect 3rd person singular
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have espousedperfect
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am espousingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been espousingperfect progressive
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espousingparticiple
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are espousingprogressive
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has been espousingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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espousessingular 3rd person
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is espousingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had espousedperfect
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were espousingprogressive plural
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had been espousingperfect progressive
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was espousingprogressive singular
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espousedsimple
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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
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Maybe the government should be slower to espouse programs that it thinks will be the new wave,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Claude itself admitted, in a recent interaction with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that even AI companies that espouse a moral commitment to something like privacy shouldn’t necessarily be trusted.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026
Although government lawyers who espouse such theories should not be, on those grounds, subject to professional discipline, they can—and, I think, should—generally be shunned by the profession.
From Slate • Mar. 17, 2025
"This is wholly unacceptable and does not align with the values and behaviours that we espouse or endorse as a service," he said.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2025
He was at length prevailed upon to espouse the Princess Jane of Naples, but did not long survive the union.
From The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6 A Monthly Eclectic Magazine by Rameur, E.
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.
