topic sentence

American  

Or topical sentence

noun

topic sentences plural

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

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topic sentence British  

noun

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

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topic sentence Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• topic sentences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of topic sentence

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

But crafting a note like “A topic sentence should signal what the paragraph is about. Can you try reworking this sentence to reflect the paragraph?” is far more empowering.

From Scientific American • Jun. 15, 2023

Compose a working topic sentence, and choose a reasoning strategy or strategies.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

If you have trouble answering any of the questions and cannot establish the sentence’s validity, consider revising the topic sentence.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

Each topic sentence should relate to the thesis.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

The topic sentence in each case is italicized.

From Practical Grammar and Composition by Wood, Thomas