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Commit to Learning the History of Espouse
As you might guess, the words espouse and spouse are hitched, both coming from the Latin verb spondēre, meaning “to promise” or “to betroth.” In fact, the two were once completely interchangeable, with each serving as a noun meaning “a newly married person” or “a husband or wife” and also as a verb meaning “to marry.” Their semantic separation began when the noun espouse fell out of use. Nowadays, espouse is most often encountered as a verb used in the figuratively extended sense “to commit to and support as a cause.”
Examples of espouse in a Sentence
Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025
The layoffs are the first step toward dismantling the department, a goal espoused by President Donald Trump and his education secretary, Linda McMahon.
—Adam Edelman, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025
That's a concern espoused by Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat.
—Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 12 Mar. 2025
The Emilia Pérez star was first embroiled in scandal when her tweets were resurfaced by journalist Sarah Hagi, in which the Spanish trans actress espoused anti-Islam and racist thinking.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for espouse
Cite this Entry
“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espouse. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
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