topic sentence

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

noun

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

topic sentence

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of topic sentence¹

First recorded in 1915–20