leading article
1. One of the longer large-type articles in a newspaper, appearing as the expression of editorial opinion on any subject; a leader.
| 1807 Politics Georgium Sidus 29 The Morning Newspapers of the metropolis..in their solemn political paragraphs, and especially in those which are called their leading articles. 1812 Examiner 25 May 333/2 Your leading article of last Sunday. 1868 M. Pattison Academ. Org. v. 295 In the schools of Oxford is now taught in perfection the art of writing ‘leading articles’. |
2. Comm. a. A principal or prominent article of trade. b. In recent use, an article which is ‘pushed’ and sold at a low price in order to attract customers for other things. Cf. leader 8 b.
| 1818 Jas. Mill Brit. India II. iv. v. 163 A leading article in the European traffic was the salt-petre produced in Bengal. 1877 W. S. Gilbert Sorcerer i. 15 Sir, it is our leading article. |