espoused

American  

[ih-spouzd, -spousd] / 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

Etymology

Origin of espoused

espouse ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Or was it simply the "art of the deal," as espoused in Trump's co-written 1987 book describing his technique of making outrageous demands to extract unexpected concessions in business.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

Despite their past wariness of crypto, banks have long espoused the potential of the blockchain technology that underpins digital currencies to streamline their businesses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

But, in a judgment on Monday, she said "all relevant evidence" to determine whether or not Mr Hancock "genuinely espoused the opinion he expressed" in the post was not available.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2025

America has long espoused values like equality, fairness, and justice, without fully upholding them for all its citizens.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2025

Ironically, despite Bobby’s unwillingness to follow principles espoused by the Church, his life still revolved around it.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• marital