sposare

Word: sposare

Meaning:
The Italian verb sposare means "to marry" or "to get married". It can be used both in the sense of entering into a marital relationship with someone (to marry someone), or figuratively, to mean "to support" or "to adopt" an idea, cause, or concept.

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Breakdown:

• Sposare is a regular verb belonging to the -are conjugation group.
• It comes from the noun sposa (bride) or sposo (groom), meaning that the verb is directly related to the institution of marriage.

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Main meanings:

1. Literal Sense: To Marry
   To unite in matrimony, formally becoming husband and wife.

   • Example: Ho deciso di sposare Luca ("I have decided to marry Luca").

2. Figurative Sense: To Support or Adopt
   To support or adopt an idea, cause, opinion, or plan as one’s own.

   • Example: Ha sposato la causa ambientalista ("He/she has embraced/adopted the environmental cause").

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Synonyms:

• Coniugarsi (to marry, but more formal/technical)
• Prendere in moglie / Prendere in sposo (to take in marriage - more colloquial/phrase)
• In case of "support / embrace," possible synonyms include adottare, accogliere.

Antonyms:

• For marrying: divorziare (to divorce), separarsi (to separate).
• For support/adopt: rifiutare (to refuse), respinge (to reject).

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Summary:

Sposare is primarily a verb that means to get married or to marry someone, but it can also be used figuratively to express the act of embracing or adopting something (an idea or cause). Its roots reflect the connection to marriage (sposo, sposa), and context determines which meaning is intended.