topical

[top-i-kuhl]

adjective

1. relating to or dealing with matters of current or local interest.

   a topical reference.

2. relating to the subject of a discourse, composition, or the like.

3. relating to or in a particular place; local.

   The themes chosen for World Meteorological Day reflect topical weather, climate, or water-related issues.

4. Medicine/Medical.,  of, relating to, or applied externally to a particular part of the body; local.

   a topical anesthetic.

noun

1. Philately.,  any of a collection of different stamps treating the same subject.

topical

/ ˈtɒpɪkəl, ˌtɒpɪˈkælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting current affairs

2. relating to a particular place; local

3. of or relating to a topic or topics

4. (of a drug, ointment, etc) for application to the body surface; local

Other Word Forms

• topically adverb
• topicality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of topical¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Greek topik(ós) “local, pertaining to commonplaces” ( topo-, -ic ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

And the revisions pertaining to Jocasta’s marriage to Laius, who was killed in a car accident decades before, bring a discomfiting and topical contemporary edge.

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The FDA even required these warnings on topical formulations, which are safer than oral ones.

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TV historian Dr Richard Wallace adds that if retailers can find a way to “incorporate a topical social issue in a careful way”, it can lead to an advert “really cutting through”.

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These forces are at the topical core of Mr. Irving’s 16th novel.

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The investment is meant in part to help the company respond to a surge in the number of medications that require more complicated logistics handling than traditional pills, cough syrups and topical ointments.

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Related Words

• newsworthy