topic sentence

American  

Or topical sentence

noun

1. a sentence that expresses the essential idea of a paragraph or larger section, usually appearing at the beginning.

---

topic sentence British  

noun

1. a sentence in a paragraph that expresses the main idea or point of the whole paragraph

---

topic sentence Cultural  

1. The main sentence in a paragraph, often the first sentence. It briefly conveys the essential idea of the paragraph.

---

Etymology

Origin of topic sentence

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Topic sentence: a sentence that states the main idea of each paragraph.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

There is a standard test-prep formula for writing an essay: Topic sentence; three sentences that give examples to support the thesis, one from literature, one from current events, and one from personal experience; concluding sentence.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2012