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espousal

espousal

9.9
An engagement or a wedding ceremony
  • noun
  • /ɪˈspaʊzəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : desposorio
  • They announced their espousal at a grand ceremony, marking the beginning of their life together.

Examples

  • "In this spiritual espousal or marriage relation between Christ and his people, there is a giving of themselves each to the other.

    Blog text (4)

  • The couple celebrated their long-awaited espousal in a beautiful garden surrounded by family and friends.

  • Her espousal to him was a well-planned event filled with joy and laughter.

Synonyms

wedding
vsespousal
∞ 1.0

A ceremony and celebration where two people get married

can also mean the promise to marry or an older, formal use
engagement
vsespousal
186 2.8

A formal promise by two people to marry

is the ceremony marking marriage rather than the earlier agreement
bridal
vsespousal
  • Archaic
42 9.9

An old word for a wedding feast

is the formal modern term for the promise or ceremony, not the feast
matrimony
vsespousal
  • Formal
24 5.3

A formal ceremony when two people become married

is the older sense of promising to marry rather than a religious rite
wedding ceremony
vsespousal
14 1.1

A formal event where two people promise to marry and exchange vows

is the promise before marriage or an archaic form, not the ritual
marriage ceremony
vsespousal
6 2.3

A formal event where two people promise to be partners

is instead the act of promising marriage or an older term, not this ritual
betrothal
vsespousal
  • Archaic
5 7.7

A formal promise to marry someone

is the public ceremony that joins couples rather than the promise
nuptials
vsespousal
6.6

A wedding ceremony where people celebrate a marriage

is the earlier promise or archaic meaning rather than the public celebration

Antonyms

divorce
963 2.9

An official ending of a marriage by a court

separation
  • Formal
95 3.7

When married people stop living together but are not divorced

Surface Forms

espousal singular
espousals plural

Morphology

espousal = espouse (semi-transparent) = espouse + al

The noun is formed from 'espouse' + '-al', but the marriage/wedding sense is archaic/formal and may not be recoverable to learners who know only the modern 'support' sense of 'espouse'.

Etymology

Espousal comes from the verb espouse, which goes back to the old Latin root spons- meaning 'promise' or 'betrothal' and is the same root as spouse. So espousal originally meant a wedding or engagement — the act of promising to be a partner — which is why it can mean the ceremony of becoming married.