Meanings
present singular third person espouses · participle present espousing · participle past espoused · past espoused
- transitiveTo marry.
He espoused several wives, and besides kept a considerable number of concubines in his harem.
1922, Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla, Zoroastrian Civilization, page 2324 more examples
For I am iealous ouer you with godly iealousie, for I haue espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Corinthians 11:2Now the birth of Iesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Ioseph (before they came together) shee was found with childe of the holy Ghost.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 1:18Philip and Henry terminated hostilities by a mutual restitution of all places taken during the course of the war; and Philip espoused the princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of France, formerly betrothed to his son Don Carlos.
1759, David Hume, “[Elizabeth I.]”, in The History of England, under the House of Tudor. […], volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 414Elberich endeavours to persuade her to become a Christian, and espouse Otnit; and to convince her of the incapacity of her gods, he tumbles their images into the fosse.
1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 212 - figurativelytransitivemodern usageTo accept, support, or take on as one’s own (an idea or a cause).
Those that espoused this ideology […]
2011, Donald J. van Vliet, “Letter: Republicans espouse ideology over national welfare”, in The Eagle-Tribune, retrieved 18 Dec 20132 more examples
Although Dowty’s proposal is attractive from the point of view of the alternative argument linking theory that I am espousing, since it eschews the use of thematic roles and thematic role hierarchies, […], but it still has some drawbacks.
1998, William Croft, “The Projection of Arguments”, in Miriam Butt, Wilhelm Geuder, editors, Event Structure in Argument Linking, page 37Among those leavers who believe Brexit has not gone well, many blame politicians for handling it badly – a narrative espoused by the former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who recently claimed that “Brexit has failed”.
2023 June 22, Heather Stewart, “Only 18% of leave voters think Brexit has been a success, poll finds”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Synonyms & antonyms
verbchoose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans
verbtake in marriage; married
verbtake up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone and use it as one's own
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*spend-
- Latinspōnsāre
- Old Frenchespouser
- Middle Englishespousen
- Englishespouse
From Middle English espousen, borrowed from Old French espouser, from Latin spōnsāre (frequentative of spondeō), from Proto-Indo-European *spend-.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian женя се, поддържам
- женя се (ženja se)to marry
- поддържам (poddăržam)accept, support, take as one’s own
Czech vdát se, oženit se
- vdát seto marry
- oženit seto marry
- vdávat seto marry
- ženit seto marry
- vzít za svéaccept, support, take as one’s own
- přijmoutaccept, support, take as one’s own
- brát za svéaccept, support, take as one’s own
- přijímataccept, support, take as one’s own
Dutch trouwen met, in het huwelijk treden met
- trouwen metto marry
- in het huwelijk treden metto marry
- tot man nemento marry
- tot vrouw nemento marry
- verdedigenaccept, support, take as one’s own
- aannemenaccept, support, take as one’s own
- ondersteunenaccept, support, take as one’s own
Esperanto geedziĝi je, subteni
- geedziĝi jeto marry
- subteniaccept, support, take as one’s own
- apogiaccept, support, take as one’s own
- adoptiaccept, support, take as one’s own
Finnish omaksua, kannattaa
- omaksuaaccept, support, take as one’s own
- kannattaaaccept, support, take as one’s own
French épouser, épouser
- épouserto marry
- épouseraccept, support, take as one’s own
- adopteraccept, support, take as one’s own
German heiraten, ehelichen
- heiratento marry
- ehelichento marry
- sich vermählen mitto marry
- zur Frau nehmento marry
- zum Mann nehmento marry
- die Ehe eingehen mitto marry
- eintreten füraccept, support, take as one’s own
- Partei ergreifen füraccept, support, take as one’s own
- sich zu eigen machenaccept, support, take as one’s own
- unterstützenaccept, support, take as one’s own
Greek ενστερνίζομαι, ασπάζομαι
- ενστερνίζομαι (ensternízomai)accept, support, take as one’s own
- ασπάζομαι (aspázomai)accept, support, take as one’s own
Polish poślubić, ożenić się
- poślubićto marry
- ożenić sięto marry
- wyjść za mążto marry
Portuguese desposar, apoiar
- desposarto marry
- apoiaraccept, support, take as one’s own
Russian вступа́ть в бра́к, жени́ться
- вступа́ть в бра́к (vstupátʹ v brák)to marry
- жени́ться (ženítʹsja)to marry
- подде́рживатьaccept, support, take as one’s own
- отдава́тьсяaccept, support, take as one’s own
Spanish desposar, propugnar
- desposarto marry
- propugnaraccept, support, take as one’s own
- promulgaraccept, support, take as one’s own
- pregonaraccept, support, take as one’s own
Swedish anamma
- anammaaccept, support, take as one’s own
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with espouse
Anagrams
Cite this entry
espouse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/espouse
“espouse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/espouse. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “espouse,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/espouse.
Source: espouse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.