espousal vs marriage

espousal and marriage both are nouns.

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

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

Other hypernyms of espousal include marriage ceremony, wedding.

espousal (noun)	marriage (noun)
the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception	the act of marrying; the nuptial ceremony
archaic terms for a wedding or wedding feast	two people who are married to each other
the act of becoming betrothed or engaged	the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
	a close and intimate union