espousal vs ritual

espousal and ritual both are nouns.

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

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

Other hypernyms of espousal include rite.

espousal (noun)	ritual (noun)
the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception	any customary observance or practice
archaic terms for a wedding or wedding feast	the prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies
the act of becoming betrothed or engaged	stereotyped behavior

espousal (adjective)	ritual (adjective)
	of or relating to or employed in social rites or rituals
	of or relating to or characteristic of religious rituals