Showing results for "espoused"

• past participle of espouse.
• past tense form of espouse.

espoused

American  

[ih-spauzd, -spausd] / ɪˈspaʊzd, -ˈspaʊsd /

adjective

1. embraced or adopted, as an idea, principle, or cause.

   There was an immediate negative reaction to his clearly espoused beliefs on the subject.

2. Archaic. married.

   Once while I was in medical school, my recently espoused wife was persuaded to come and see me do a post-mortem.

3. Archaic. engaged or betrothed.

   Espoused couples desiring to be married by the Ministerial Staff are required to complete the six-week preparation course.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of espouse.

Other Word Forms

• unespoused
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of espoused

espouse ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

espoused

The late nineties and early noughties in Britain were an era that celebrated casual sexism and often elevated celebrities who espoused it.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Romualdo Pacheco’s term lasted just a shade over nine months, and his person and heritage left a more durable impression than any politics he espoused during his short tenure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

“Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence,” Attiah said in another post.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Jørgensen worked in a co-working space shared with colleagues and espoused “the Novo Nordisk way,” telling “60 Minutes”: “The values are based on ordinary human decent values.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Here, in case you don’t know what it is yet, is the perennial example, as espoused by Harold Ross: “The flag is red, white, and blue.”

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author

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