topical
Americanadjective
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relating to or dealing with matters of current or local interest.
a topical reference.
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relating to the subject of a discourse, composition, or the like.
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relating to or in a particular place; local.
The themes chosen for World Meteorological Day reflect topical weather, climate, or water-related issues.
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Medicine/Medical. of, relating to, or applied externally to a particular part of the body; local.
a topical anesthetic.
noun
adjective
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of, relating to, or constituting current affairs
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relating to a particular place; local
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of or relating to a topic or topics
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(of a drug, ointment, etc) for application to the body surface; local
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of topical
First recorded in 1580–90; from Greek topik(ós) “local, pertaining to commonplaces” ( see topo-, -ic) + -al 1
Explanation
When some information or news is current and of immediate interest, we say it is topical. This might be a news story or a bit of gossip, or just a subject that is of current importance. If it's "now," it's topical. There are several meanings of the word topical, but one clue can help you remember them all: that inside word "top." You often hear newscasters refer to the "top" stories of the day—they’re current, and that makes them topical. That same little word "top" can help you remember the medical meaning of topical: pertaining to the surface of the skin. A cream applied to the "top" of your skin is a topical medication. Remember that clue, and you'll be "tops" too.
Vocabulary lists containing topical
Burning Blue
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Week 1 Spelling
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The Wind in the Willows
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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.
Topical treatments are considered safer, but they often require very long application periods, sometimes lasting years.
From Science Daily • Dec. 7, 2025
Topical comedy goes viral in the moment, circulating long before bedtime.
From Salon • Jul. 20, 2025
Topical late-night shows don’t have the same shelf life.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2025
Dawn Hamann, president of the American Topical Association, a group of stamp collectors who organize their holdings by the subjects depicted, said the new program offers many opportunities to these specialists.
From Washington Times • Oct. 23, 2023
The Topical Recitation.+—In conducting a recitation the teacher may ask direct questions about each part of a paragraph or she may ask a pupil to discuss some topic.
From Composition-Rhetoric by Brooks, Stratton D.
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.
