In some contexts, such as in the British educational system, a thesis statement is generally considered synonymous with one's argument.
For example, American and British education systems frame the thesis statement differently.
American schools generally encourage students to write their thesis statement so that the writer's ultimate conclusion(s) on the topic described in their paper is made clear; this opinion is then typically reiterated in the conclusion.
[4] Regardless of the potential for variation, oftentimes a thesis is considered "good" or "strong" when it is both specific (or "narrow") and sufficiently supported by the evidence/material in the rest of the writer's piece.
[1][5] Some commentators have argued that excessive emphasis on the importance of thesis statements in the early stages of university education, particularly in American composition and rhetoric courses, encourages inappropriately assertive writing, that overlooks the complexity and nuance expected in professional academic writing.