Spousing

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To advocate or support something publicly; to engage in promoting an idea or belief actively; to express allegiance or commitment toward a cause or movement
2. Actively promoting a particular set of beliefs or ideologies; publicly declaring support for a cause or initiative; demonstrating a firm commitment to a specific viewpoint or philosophy
3. Engaging in the public endorsement of certain principles; voicing strong support for a particular perspective or agenda; showing dedication to a belief system or social issue

Etymology: Most people meet "spousing" only in its marriage sense, yet the verb "spouse" once meant to marry in the plain sense of a wedding, and its root carries a promise. Its ancestor in Latin was "sponsus," a bridegroom, and "sponsa," a bride, both built on "spondeo," meaning to vow or pledge. A groom and bride were, at root, people who had sworn an oath to each other. The word passed into Middle English through Anglo-Norman and Old French forms, and it pushed out the native Old English word "gemaca" for a spouse. The newer sense of publicly backing a cause comes from the same vow. "Espouse," which is a close relative, came to mean taking up a cause or doctrine as one would take up a partner, so to espouse an ideology is to bind yourself to it in the way a marriage binds two people. "Sponsor" shares the same root, reflecting the older idea of a person who stands surety by making a pledge on another's behalf.

Synonyms: marrying, wedlock, betrothing, joining, uniting

Antonyms: divorcing, separating, splitting, rejecting, abandoning