espousal vs approval

espousal and approval both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
espousal	Yes	No	No	No
approval	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, approval is a hypernym of espousal; that is, approval is a word with a broader meaning than espousal:

Other hypernyms of espousal include approving, blessing.

espousal (noun)	approval (noun)
the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception	the formal act of approving
archaic terms for a wedding or wedding feast	a message expressing a favorable opinion
the act of becoming betrothed or engaged	a feeling of liking something or someone good
	acceptance as satisfactory