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. Compare comment ( def 7 ).

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

His Brexit comments go much further than he previously has on the topic.

From BBC

He has previously avoided commenting on the topic because of the Bank's independence from Westminster politics.

From BBC

Whether communities like Las Posas Estates and Camarillo Heights can truly beat fire in such an environment, though, remains a topic of fierce debate among scientists.

From Los Angeles Times

Each weekday, your host, Ray Hamel, concocts a challenging set of unique questions on a specific topic.

From Slate

He added that Michael Waltz, expected to become Trump's national security adviser, "has form" on the topic, having written a letter to Biden's secretary of state Antony Blinken in 2022 during talks under the previous Tory government.

From BBC

Related Words

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