topic
Americannoun
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a subject of conversation or discussion.
to provide a topic for discussion.
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the subject or theme of a discourse or of one of its parts.
- Synonyms:
- subject matter, thesis
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Rhetoric, Logic. a general field of considerations from which arguments can be drawn.
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Also called theme. Linguistics. the part of a sentence that announces the item about which the rest of the sentence communicates information, often signaled by initial position in the sentence or by a grammatical marker.
noun
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a subject or theme of a speech, essay, book, etc
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a subject of conversation; item of discussion
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(in rhetoric, logic, etc) a category or class of arguments or ideas which may be drawn on to furnish proofs
Related Words
See subject.
Etymology
Origin of topic
First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin topica (plural), from Greek (tà) topiká name of work by Aristotle (literally, “(things) pertaining to commonplaces),” equivalent to tóp(os) “commonplace” + -ika, neuter plural of -ikos -ic; see topo-
Explanation
A topic is a subject. It's what you're discussing or what a newspaper article is about, the theme of a documentary, or the focus of your term paper. Green energy, the Oscar nominees, what's on the lunch menu, boxers or briefs — these are all considered topics. If something is a "hot topic," then everybody is talking about it. If it's a "topic for discussion," then someone wants to have a serious conversation about it. If you're at a dinner party, you can talk about all kinds of topics with other guests. But to keep peace at the table, avoid bringing up controversial political or religious topics.
Vocabulary lists containing topic
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Keystone Exams: English Composition Glossary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s been a big topic, and certainly one that I’m not shying away from.
From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026
He is "glad" people have begun to talk about the topic more and hopes this eventually leads to a reckoning - one that reawakens the ideals of their defiant, optimistic founding father.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Still, it remains a taboo topic with surprisingly little reporting on the money involved.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
That’s a topic worth debating on another day.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
But Dyedka was stuck on the boy topic.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
