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

Stanley espoused an evangelical capitalism that focused on its employees’ personal growth; it recommended salespeople read Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

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

When Bin Salman first came to prominence as Saudi defense minister in 2015, he espoused a pugilistic foreign policy that saw him launch the unsuccessful offensive on the Houthis and kidnap Lebanon’s prime minister.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

For people whose sense of self depends on believing that they are separate and superior to others, the ecological view espoused by Darwin and his many successors is anathema.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2025

One of the most common arguments espoused by the antisuffrage forces was that women were not emotionally strong enough to handle the responsibility of voting and were thus incapable of making sound political decisions.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• marital