1
a
: the subject of a discourse or of a section of a discourse
b
: a heading in an outlined argument or exposition
2
b
: one of the general forms of argument employed in probable reasoning
Synonyms
Example Sentences
He is comfortable discussing a wide range of topics.
topics such as health and fitness
Recent Examples on the Web
Her favorite topics include, but are not limited to: the giant squid, punk rock, and robotics.
—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 7 Apr. 2023
Though the overall mood is celebratory, the exhibit includes a handful of artworks that tackle tough topics.
—Mary Carole Mccauley, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2023
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov landed in Ankara on Thursday to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, to discuss the war in Ukraine and energy issues, among other topics, Tass reported.
—Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023
The breakdown happened after the entire Race Team Alliance held a call Tuesday to discuss topics for the smaller meeting with NASCAR.
—Jenna Fryer, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2023
This conservation topic matters also with regards to the survival of the one-of-a-kind art installation created by Luigi Lineri.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 6 Apr. 2023
Each year, Fortune Brainstorm Health assembles some of the best minds in health care to discuss the most pertinent topics in the industry.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 5 Apr. 2023
Goldfarb brings this somewhat niche topic to life with a mixture of reporting and personal experience.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 5 Apr. 2023
Recently, Bruce fan Emily McColgan and I had the honor of speaking to Campbell about his status as cult hero, his acting style and his tequila preferences, among other topics.
—Alessandro Corona, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘topic.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin Topica Topics (work by Aristotle), from Greek Topika, from topika, neuter plural of topikos of a place, of a topos, from topos place, topos
First Known Use
circa 1569, in the meaning defined at sense 2b
Time Traveler
The first known use of topic was
circa 1569
Dictionary Entries Near topic
Cite this Entry
“Topic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topic. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.
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8 Apr 2023
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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
noun
a subject of conversation or discussion: to provide a topic for discussion.
the subject or theme of a discourse or of one of its parts.
Rhetoric, Logic. a general field of considerations from which arguments can be drawn.
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).
QUIZ
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Origin of topic
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; see topo-
synonym study for topic
Words nearby topic
Tophet, top-hole, tophus, topi, topiary, topic, topical, topicality, topicalize, topically, topic sentence
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to topic
affair, argument, business, case, field, issue, material, matter, point, problem, proposition, question, subject, theme, division, head, motif, motion, motive, resolution
How to use topic in a sentence
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Shaw and McCarthy both agree that these are tricky topics, especially for people whose own parents never talked to them about these issues.
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You can check Google Trends to find out which topics are trending in your niche and then keep track of traffic.
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You might be hesitant to ask them about it because it’s a sensitive topic.
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Nearly two years ago, other city leaders asked the San Diego Housing Commission to study that very topic, but that didn’t happen.
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As the Times is looking to grow its core portfolio of newsletters, topics covered in The Morning can be spun out into standalone newsletters that “don’t have to last forever,” Pasick said.
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For many years afterward it was a never-ending topic of conversation, and is more or less talked of even to this day.
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One topic that comes up among the members, she says, is dealing with loss years later.
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The other Twitter topic you are well known for is the topic of Salon.
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A few minor notes, born of reflection: Traditionally, the best columns are dominated by politics—its most popular topic.
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Of course there was no official way to have these interviews given the sensitivity of the topic.
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Naturally the conversation fell on the all-absorbing topic of the day and the object of his mission.
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Cecilia says they were all talking of it at Maundrell Abbey, where of course it is a peculiarly interesting topic.
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She chatted freely, discoursed on almost every topic, and during it all he saw what a wonderfully courageous woman she was.
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In continuation of this topic, may I inquire when and where the two following bishops, deprived in 1690, died?
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Surely the topic is capable of being handled in a sufficiently exciting manner!
British Dictionary definitions for topic
noun
a subject or theme of a speech, essay, book, etc
a subject of conversation; item of discussion
(in rhetoric, logic, etc) a category or class of arguments or ideas which may be drawn on to furnish proofs
Word Origin for topic
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
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
Princeton’s WordNetRate this definition:2.0 / 4 votes
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subject, topic, themenoun
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
«he didn’t want to discuss that subject»; «it was a very sensitive topic»; «his letters were always on the theme of love»
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topic, subject, issue, matternoun
some situation or event that is thought about
«he kept drifting off the topic»; «he had been thinking about the subject for several years»; «it is a matter for the police»
WiktionaryRate this definition:1.8 / 4 votes
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topicnoun
Subject; theme; a category or general area of interest.
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topicnoun
discussion thread
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topicadjective
topical
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Etymology: From topica, from τοπικός, from.
WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes
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topic
The BID 770 was a British-built electronic cryptography device, codenamed TOPIC. It was also used by Canada’s foreign service under the codename TENEC. TOPIC was brought into service in 1977, and became obsolete in 1995.
TOPIC was used to protect telegraph traffic, and replaced the earlier mechanical system called ROCKEX. It could be operated in both on- and off-line modes. Weighing 65 lb, the machine used diode–transistor logic instead of single transistors.
Webster DictionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote
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Topicnoun
one of the various general forms of argument employed in probable as distinguished from demonstrative reasoning, — denominated by Aristotle to`poi (literally, places), as being the places or sources from which arguments may be derived, or to which they may be referred; also, a prepared form of argument, applicable to a great variety of cases, with a supply of which the ancient rhetoricians and orators provided themselves; a commonplace of argument or oratory
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Topicnoun
a treatise on forms of argument; a system or scheme of forms or commonplaces of argument or oratory; as, the Topics of Aristotle
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Topicnoun
an argument or reason
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Topicnoun
the subject of any distinct portion of a discourse, or argument, or literary composition; also, the general or main subject of the whole; a matter treated of; a subject, as of conversation or of thought; a matter; a point; a head
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Topicnoun
an external local application or remedy, as a plaster, a blister, etc
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Topicadjective
topical
FreebaseRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote
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Topic
Topic is a chocolate bar made by Mars, Incorporated in France and sold throughout Europe. It contains hazelnuts, nougat and caramel.
The bar was first introduced in 1962. In the UK it was advertised with the line «A Hazelnut in Every Bite»
The chocolate bar was promoted in a series of radio advertisements broadcast in 2002 with the strapline «A joy to eat, but a bitch to make». These adverts featured actors Simon Pegg and Mark Heap who both appeared in the cult British TV comedy Spaced.
The Topic was removed from boxes of Celebrations in 2006, along with Twix.
Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes
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Topic
top′ik, n. a subject of discourse or argument: a matter.—adj. Top′ical, pertaining to a place: local: relating to a topic or subject: relating to things of local interest.—adv. Top′ically, with reference to a particular place or topic. [Fr.,—Low L.,—Gr. ta topika, the general principles of argument—topos, a place.]
CrunchBaseRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote
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Topic
Topic smartly identifies your interests and matches you with like-minded people
Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes
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topic
Song lyrics by topic — Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by topic on the Lyrics.com website.
Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes
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TOPIC
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Topic is ranked #83834 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Topic surname appeared 224 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Topic.
99.5% or 223 total occurrences were White.
British National Corpus
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Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘Topic’ in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3924
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Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘Topic’ in Written Corpus Frequency: #3603
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Nouns Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘Topic’ in Nouns Frequency: #1045
How to pronounce Topic?
How to say Topic in sign language?
Numerology
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Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of Topic in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
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Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of Topic in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Examples of Topic in a Sentence
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Bill Albert:
I think the important point is that you don’t wait until they are 16 or 17 to start talking to them about sex because that is almost always too late, for kids on almost any topic if they feel they can go to their parents … if their parents don’t sort of flip out on these conversations, that’s all for the good, for both parents and kids.
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Ayad Allawi:
Regional security includes not interfering in internal affairs of countries, unfortunately this matter has been ignored, yet it remains an important topic.
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Jabari Asim:
He still has a ways to go in talking about racism and I had hoped he would be more assertive in his second term, he needs to address the idea that white people need to have a conversation about race among themselves. It’s the silent majority of white people who benefit from privilege and that needs to be topic one.
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Riana Elyse Anderson:
It is up to a parent, like they would for any other topic, to make it developmentally appropriate.
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Claire Thwaites:
Since the appeal is ongoing and likely to be heard at the General Court in the near future we will not be able to participate in a public hearing on this topic as it could be detrimental to the proceedings at the Court and any potential appeals thereafter.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for Topic
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- موضوع, مواضيعArabic
- předmět, témaCzech
- emneDanish
- ThemaGerman
- θέμαGreek
- temaSpanish
- تم, موضوعPersian
- aiheFinnish
- evniFaroese
- thème, sujetFrench
- téamaIrish
- bun-chooishManx
- témaHungarian
- categoria, argomento, tema, soggettoItalian
- 主題, 話題, テーマ, トピックJapanese
- 主題, 話題, 화제, 주제Korean
- kaupapa, marauMāori
- topikMalay
- onderwerpDutch
- tematPolish
- tópicoPortuguese
- temaRomansh
- предмет, топик, темаRussian
- विषयSanskrit
- ämne, samtalsämneSwedish
- தலைப்புTamil
- chủ đề, 主題Vietnamese
- isihlokoZulu
Get even more translations for Topic »
Translation
Find a translation for the Topic definition in other languages:
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- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
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- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
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Are we missing a good definition for Topic? Don’t keep it to yourself…
Meaning
Meaning noun — The idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action.
Usage example: the unmistakable meaning of the skier’s upraised arms as he finished his spectacular run
Show all Definitions
Synonyms for Meaning
Topic and meaning are semantically related In some cases you can use «Topic» instead a noun «Meaning».
Topic
Topic noun — A major object of interest or concern (as in a discussion or artistic composition).
Show all Definitions
Synonyms for Topic
Meaning and topic are semantically related in significance topic. Sometimes you can use «Meaning» instead a noun «Topic».
How words are described
special | special meaning | special topic |
exact | exact meaning | exact topic |
particular | particular meaning | particular topic |
similar | similar meaning | similar topic |
Other adjectives: common, specific, certain, current, original, actual, real, sexual, personal, new, general, political, mundane, primary, different, philosophical. |
Both words in one sentence
- APA
- MLA
- CMS
Google Ngram Viewer shows how «meaning» and «topic» have occurred on timeline
mean verb
(INTEND)
be meant to do sth
We were meant to have gone away this week, but Debbie’s ill so we couldn’t go.
More examplesFewer examples
- I didn’t mean to be rude — it just came out like that.
- He doesn’t really mean it — he’s just being contrary.
- He’s always making flattering remarks, but he doesn’t really mean them.
- I didn’t mean to upset her — it was just a bit of fun.
- He didn’t mean it — he said it in the heat of the moment.
mean verb
(HAVE IMPORTANCE)
Possessions mean nothing to him.
More examplesFewer examples
- Her children mean all the world to her.
- Gerald means nothing to me now.
- Her career means everything to her.
- Nothing means more to me than my children’s happiness.
- Her approval meant a lot to me.
Grammar
Idioms
mean adjective
(NOT KIND)
Stop being so mean to me!
She just said it to be mean.
Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples
- cruelTeasing them for being overweight is cruel.
- callousHe had a callous disregard for the feelings of others.
- cold-bloodedThe budget is based on a cold-blooded analysis of the markets.
- ruthlessHe was a ruthless dictator.
- heartlessHe has been described as a heartless boss by several employees.
See more results »
More examplesFewer examples
- He’s as mean as they come.
- You shouldn’t have been so mean to your mother — she deserves better.
- And she didn’t invite him? That was a bit mean!
- Stop being so mean to your brother!
- It was mean of him to make her stay late.
mean adjective
(VIOLENT)
mean adjective
(GOOD)
mean adjective
(BAD QUALITY)
mean adjective
(MATHEMATICS)
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Idioms
mean noun [S]
(MATHEMATICS)
mathematics
specialized (also the arithmetic mean)
The mean of 5, 4, 10, and 15 is 8.5.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
mean noun [S]
(METHOD)
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
(Definition of mean from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
mean | American Dictionary
mean verb
(EXPRESS)
mean verb
(HAVE RESULT)
mean verb
(HAVE IMPORTANCE)
My grandmother’s ring wasn’t valuable, but it meant a lot to me.
mean verb
(INTEND)
[ I ] I’ve been meaning to call you but I’ve been so busy I never got around to it.
[ T ] She means what she says.
Idioms
mean noun [C]
(AVERAGE)
mean adjective [-er/-est only]
(NOT KIND)
mean adjective [-er/-est only]
(GOOD)
(Definition of mean from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
mean | Business English
MEASURES
(also arithmetic mean)
The mean of 5, 4, 10, and 15 is 8.5.
What does this word mean?
mean sth by sth What do you mean by ‘rightsizing the department’?
(Definition of mean from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
Examples of mean
mean
Mean values should, where possible, be accompanied by standard errors or similar statistical indications of variance.
However, the publisher reserves the right to typeset material by conventional means if an author’s disk proves unsatisfactory.
This symmetry means that any of the cells in the pair can star t firing before the other.
What the heroine most likely means here, is that she doesn’t wish to become involved outside her chosen province of literature.
However, this asymmetrical distribution means that the only context that permits comparison among really, very, so and pretty as intensifiers is the predicative adjective context.
Particularly troubling to us is that no means is offered for determining at what time(s) a given parameter reflects either planning or control.
Order is maintained by two means: direct management of the relations of the players and indirect structuring of the terms of play.
The use of regression models, such as multilevel modeling, potentially provides a rigorous means of modeling variation in cost-effectiveness between centers or countries (13).
This means that at the outset, we will deal with the context of ordinary differential equations.
Their restriction to shallow marine environments suggests that photosynthesis was the primary means of organic matter production for these benthic communities.
Physically, this is because, on average, the mean shear causes larger separation between particle pairs so that larger eddies disperse them.
On the other hand, each form has its own unique onset and rime, which means that no form benefits from phonetic consistency.
This task could be carried out entirely by means of (purely) natural-scientific (naturwissenschaftlichen) methods.
In the 1920s, the school was eager to distinguish itself from the government schools as a means of attracting more pupils.
Observation and interviews with the children and the classroom teachers were used as a means to gather data on the potentially psychological impact of singing.
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
Collocations with mean
These are words often used in combination with mean.
Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.
adequate means
Consequently, the patient’s current ability to cope depends, in part, on whether he achieved adequate means for adaptation when he experienced stress as a child.
alternate means
The ethics consultant stressed to the attending physician that fluids need not be administered as long as the baby is kept comfortable by alternate means.
alternative means
Disarmament without providing soldiers with training, as well as help in finding alternative means of livelihood, leads to instability and internal crises.
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.