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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
Sarah Emerson, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Kansas City, meanwhile, is ranked 29th at 38.9 percent (7-for-18), and Mahomes is saying some of the the same things Brock Purdy has espoused for weeks as the 49ers look to avoid point-blank field goals and score more touchdowns.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2024
On October 7, 2024, Trump appeared on a right-wing radio show, again espousing his belief that genetic predisposition based on race determines a person’s capacity of intellect, tendency toward violence, and likelihood of success.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Its believers espouse the idea that the benefits of superpowerful AI so outweigh any risks that there should be no regulation of AI at all.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for espouse 
Dictionary Entries Near espouse
Cite this Entry
“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espouse. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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