topic

[top-ik]

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.

topic

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of topic¹

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-

Word History and Origins

Origin of topic¹

C16: from Latin topica translating Greek ta topika, literally: matters relating to commonplaces, title of a treatise by Aristotle, from topoi, pl of topos place, commonplace

Synonym Study

See subject.

Example Sentences

Von hosts a weekly podcast called “This Past Weekend,” where he discusses various topics and interviews guests and callers.

From Los Angeles Times

"I think it's unfortunate that now there's another thing on that list of topics that we need to do a deep dive into with our patients."

From BBC

However, it's worth noting that research into this topic is limited, and we haven't found any studies which suggest a link between low immunisation rates and autism diagnosis among Amish people.

From BBC

The pair are just two of the many actors vying for audiobook roles at a time when the talent pool is expanding and casting is becoming a growing topic of debate.

From Los Angeles Times

A new report released by the center calls attention to this topic, which Lake says has received much less attention than the national debate over how to teach reading.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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