topical

adjective

top·​i·​cal ˈtä-pi-kəl 

1

a

: referring to the topics of the day or place : of local or temporary interest

a topical novel

topical references

b

: of, relating to, or arranged by topics

set down in topical form

2

: designed for or involving local application and action (as on the body)

a topical anesthetic

a topical remedy

topically

ˈtä-pi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

Like a topical medicine, a topical reference or story applies to something specific, focusing on a topic that's currently in the news. TV comedians often use topical humor, making jokes about a currently popular movie or the latest political scandal—if possible, one that just broke that same day. Topical humor has a short lifespan, though, because the news keeps changing and the new hot topics just keep coming. The medical meaning of topical stays closer to the meaning of the root, since it describes something that's put right on the place that seems to need it.

Examples of topical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Malcolm Spellman Snowfall equalled The Wire mostly in terms of volume — 60 episodes apiece — but over the course of its six seasons, the topical and thematic similarities were obvious and the structural similarities even more so. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2026

The company does topical political protest shows using music, acting, masks, puppets and community spirit. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026

The jury is still out on how effectively topical NAD+ can be absorbed by the skin. — Sheryl George, Glamour, 2 Sep. 2026

One of the closest to market is Cosmo’s topical medicine, clascoterone, which targets the root cause of male-pattern hair loss by blocking a hormone that causes it directly at the hair follicle. — Avalon Pernell, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for topical

• tropical
• intertropical
• neotropical
• subtropical

Kids Definition

topical

adjective

top·​i·​cal ˈtäp-i-kəl 

1

: designed to be applied to or to work on a specific place or part (as of the body)

a topical medicine

2

a

: of or relating to topics

topical outline

b

: referring to the topics of the day or place

topical jokes

topically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

topical

adjective

top·​i·​cal ˈtäp-i-kəl 

: designed for or involving application to or action on the surface of a part of the body

applied a topical anesthetic to numb the skin

eyedrops used in the topical treatment of glaucoma

topically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb