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.
-
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
- topicality noun
- topically adverb
Etymology
Origin of topical
First recorded in 1580–90; from Greek topik(ós) “local, pertaining to commonplaces” ( topo-, -ic ) + -al 1
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.
Pelage is planning to start Phase 3 studies this year for PP405, a topical “regenerative medicine approach” to hair loss that targets hair follicles stuck in the resting phase.
From MarketWatch
Magazine and contributes lifestyle reporting and topical essays to The Wall Street Journal.
The Berlinale traditionally has a reputation for topical, progressive programming, but so far this year's edition has seen several stars shy away from taking a stance on the big political issues of the day.
From Barron's
Berlin is the first major international festival in the world's film calendar and has a reputation for topical and progressive programming.
From Barron's
“I just thought it was another piece of music I had written that followed my long career path of dealing with topical subjects. . .”
From Salon
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.
