topic

American  

[top-ik] / ˈtɒp ɪk /

noun

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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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; topo-

Example Sentences

They’ll also tailor show topics to the cities they’re in or make the dialogue cheekier than what you can say on air.

From Los Angeles Times

They have been watching Business Questions, a session where MPs can raise any topic they wish, from vet fees to nuclear power to litter.

From BBC

She says going back is a constant topic of conversation in the Syrian community.

From BBC

As more cases rush up to the Supreme Court, a surprisingly hot topic has emerged in legal circles: What is the best way to refer to this increasingly consequential portion of the court’s work?

From The Wall Street Journal

Fixating on topics without any redirection can be especially dangerous for people with autism.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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