Showing results for "espoused"

• past tense form of espouse.
• past participle 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

“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, punk bands truly espoused the music’s DIY ethos, and were more culturally diverse.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

He espoused many of the same ideals as an elected official in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, before leaving the political stage for reality TV.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

Ignatius lumbered over to the picket fence, abandoning the hopeless cause espoused by the wagon, and viewed the oil paintings and pastels and watercolors strung there.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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