Definition of "espousal" [es•pous•al]

• A betrothal. (noun)
• A wedding ceremony. (noun)
• Adoption of an idea or a cause. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "What would one call the espousal of "gay marriages" and abortion rights?"
• "The espousal was a ceremony of betrothing, a formal agreement between the parties then coming under obligation for the purpose of marriage."
• "Of course, if the Assembly preferred, it could opt for the more familiar terminology, rather than the newer term "espousal," so long as the definition chosen ensures equality in name and in substance."