TOP

Definition of espouse verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

espouse

verb
 
/ɪˈspaʊz/
 
/ɪˈspaʊz/
(formal)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they espouse
 
/ɪˈspaʊz/
 
/ɪˈspaʊz/
he / she / it espouses
 
/ɪˈspaʊzɪz/
 
/ɪˈspaʊzɪz/
past simple espoused
 
/ɪˈspaʊzd/
 
/ɪˈspaʊzd/
past participle espoused
 
/ɪˈspaʊzd/
 
/ɪˈspaʊzd/
-ing form espousing
 
/ɪˈspaʊzɪŋ/
 
/ɪˈspaʊzɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. espouse something to give your support to a belief, policy, etc.
    • They espoused the notion of equal opportunity for all in education.
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryEspouse is used with these nouns as the object:
    • belief
    • idea
    • ideal
    See full entry
    Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘take as a spouse’): from Old French espouser, from Latin sponsare, from sponsus ‘betrothed’, past participle of spondere.
See espouse in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee espouse in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
previously
adverb
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 3000
B1
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day