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.
