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Synonyms

topical

American  
[top-i-kuhl] / ˈtɒp ɪ kəl /

adjective

  1. relating to or dealing with matters of current or local interest.

    a topical reference.

  2. relating to the subject of a discourse, composition, or the like.

  3. relating to or in a particular place; local.

    The themes chosen for World Meteorological Day reflect topical weather, climate, or water-related issues.

  4. Medicine/Medical. of, relating to, or applied externally to a particular part of the body; local.

    a topical anesthetic.

noun

  1. Philately. any of a collection of different stamps treating the same subject.

topical British  
/ ˈtɒpɪkəl, ˌtɒpɪˈkælɪtɪ /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or constituting current affairs

  2. relating to a particular place; local

  3. of or relating to a topic or topics

  4. (of a drug, ointment, etc) for application to the body surface; local

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Bethany is one of a growing number of people documenting their experiences on social media, using the hashtag TSW, which stands for topical steroid withdrawal.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

“It was such a funny, topical joke that touched on something everyone was thinking about, and at the same time, got a big laugh and was unifying,” O’Brien said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

There are two FDA-approved treatments for these patients — minoxidil and finasteride, both of which come in oral and topical forms.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

The first batch of label changes include HRT products in systemic combination therapy, estrogen-alone therapy, progestogen-alone therapy for women with a uterus using systemic estrogen and topical vaginal estrogen therapy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

They're all lined up so neatly on the bathroom counter: the vacuum-packed dressings coated with topical pain reliever, the latex-free surgical tape, the hydrogen peroxide, the prescription-grade antibiotic gel.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

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.