espouse — to adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life)
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life)
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪˈspaʊz/
Example Sentences
- The politician decided to espouse veganism after watching a documentary about cows complaining about their job conditions.
- Many celebrities espouse charity work, though some do it just for the photo opportunities.
- She espoused the idea of working from bed so passionately that her boss had to remind her that pajamas weren't appropriate meeting attire.
espouse
VERB[/ɪˈspaʊz/]
to adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life)
The senator stood before the crowd to espouse a bold new environmental policy.
E(electronic) + SPOUSE(wife) — holding his robot wife's hand, the man publicly chose to espouse the new AI marriage rights.
Standing bravely on the cheese, the tiny mouse raised a sign to passionately espouse animal rights to the giant cats.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old French 'espouser,' derived from Latin 'sponsare' meaning 'to betroth or pledge,' which comes from 'spondere' meaning 'to promise or vow.' The word entered English in the 13th century with the meaning of marrying or betrothing, and later extended to mean adopting or supporting a cause.
Breakdown
es- (out) + pouse (from Latin sponsare, to pledge) = espouse; the prefix 'es-' intensifies the meaning of pledging oneself to something, whether a person or a cause
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The politician decided to espouse veganism after watching a documentary about cows complaining about their job conditions.”
“Many celebrities espouse charity work, though some do it just for the photo opportunities.”
“She espoused the idea of working from bed so passionately that her boss had to remind her that pajamas weren't appropriate meeting attire.”
“The university professor espoused progressive educational methods in his teaching.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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