topic
Americannoun
-
a subject of conversation or discussion.
to provide a topic for discussion.
-
the subject or theme of a discourse or of one of its parts.
- Synonyms:
- subject matter, thesis
-
Rhetoric, Logic. a general field of considerations from which arguments can be drawn.
-
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
-
a subject or theme of a speech, essay, book, etc
-
a subject of conversation; item of discussion
-
(in rhetoric, logic, etc) a category or class of arguments or ideas which may be drawn on to furnish proofs
Synonym Usage
See subject.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Keystone Exams: English Composition Glossary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
By the time she realised she was autistic, she had completed a masters degree in autism and written five books on the topic.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
Still, some Puerto Ricans such as Díaz view the topic as part of the island’s history, initially brought to the Caribbean by 16th-century Spaniards when the island was first colonized.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2026
Speaking with Usha Vance on "Storytime with the Second Lady," as America celebrated its 250th birthday, the billionaire property tycoon opened with his favorite topic -- real estate, of course.
From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026
Good, honest writing isn’t only hard work; it can get you canceled for being direct about a controversial topic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
And no sooner than Duane would reply with a “That sounds like quite a high jump indeed,” Magic would have moved on to the topic of home renovations for a fox hole.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
