espouse

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitiveformal

   To take up and openly support an idea, belief or cause.

   Grammar: Takes an abstract object: espouse a view, a cause, a philosophy.

   Patterns

   • espouse something
   • espouse a cause

   The candidate espoused lower taxes throughout the campaign.

   Many early scientists espoused the idea of a flat landscape.

   She espouses minimalism and owns very little.

2. 2verbtransitivearchaicliterary

   To marry someone.

   Grammar: Archaic and literary: he espoused her.

   Patterns

   • espouse someone

   In the old tale, the prince espoused a shepherd's daughter.

   The king espoused a foreign princess.

   She was espoused to a nobleman at sixteen.

Word forms

Common combinations

espouse a cause

The group espouses the cause of clean water.

espouse a view

He espoused a view that many found strange.

espouse values

The school espouses values of honesty.

openly espouse

She openly espouses vegetarian ideas.

espouse a policy

The party espoused a policy of free trade.

Synonyms and how they differ

advocate

Advocate stresses speaking in favor of something, while espouse suggests taking it up as your own belief.

embrace

Embrace is warmer and more general, often used for ideas you accept happily.

champion

Champion suggests fighting actively for a cause, which is stronger than espouse.

adopt

Adopt is neutral and means to start using, without the public support that espouse implies.

Opposites

Word family

espousal noun

the act of supporting a belief or cause

spouse noun

a husband or wife, from the same root

espoused adjective

openly supported, or engaged to marry

betroth verb

to promise in marriage, an older related idea

Commonly confused: espouse or expose? espouse or spouse?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “espouse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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