topic

American  

[top-ik] / ˈtɒp ɪk /

noun

• topics
  plural

1. a subject of conversation or discussion.

   to provide a topic for discussion.

2. the subject or theme of a discourse or of one of its parts.

   Synonyms:

   subject matter, thesis

3. Rhetoric, Logic. a general field of considerations from which arguments can be drawn.

4. 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.

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topic British  

/ ˈtɒpɪk /

noun

1. a subject or theme of a speech, essay, book, etc

2. a subject of conversation; item of discussion

3. (in rhetoric, logic, etc) a category or class of arguments or ideas which may be drawn on to furnish proofs

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Synonym Usage

See subject.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• topics
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

topic topics

When Kennedy finished the 2022 documentary, she thought she was done with the topic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

The stock has recently hit all-time highs, though it has underperformed some rivals in recent years and succession has become a topic among investors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Ballerinas have been a topic of conversation among sneaker executives, as well.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Jacobs announced she was beginning the egg freezing process in 2021, at a time where she said few lawmakers were discussing the topic in the halls of Congress.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

“I believe Lady Constance meant that as a rhetorical question,” Penelope interjected, but the children’s enthusiasm for the topic had already taken over.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Two topics have dominated his check-ins: leadership teams—specifically how to structure them—and corporate culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Now that they don’t have Wi-Fi, will they run out of topics to discuss?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Turning pain or shame into a comedic tale allowed her to use creativity to discuss heavy topics in an environment that was very loving and open.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

A joint statement issued by the two sides highlighted agreement on two topics after several days of discussion: reforming the judiciary, and seeking access to frozen funds to aid in earthquake recovery efforts.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Aristotelian philosophers looked backwards, assuming Aristotle had known everything that needed to be known; the new scientists looked forward, aiming to expand the limited range of topics in which they could make satisfactory predictions.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• affair
• argument
• business
• case
• field
• issue
• material
• matter
• point
• problem
• proposition
• question
• subject
• theme