topic

noun

top·​ic ˈtä-pik How to pronounce topic (audio)
Synonyms of topicnext
1
a
: the subject of a discourse or of a section of a discourse
b
: a heading in an outlined argument or exposition
2
a
: argument, reason
b
: one of the general forms of argument employed in probable reasoning

Synonyms of topic

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of topic in a Sentence

He is comfortable discussing a wide range of topics. topics such as health and fitness
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Financial Materiality Entry Filter runs on SASB's industry topic maps, and those maps were built segment by segment before generative AI became a stand-alone source of financial risk. — Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 Lee spoke to The Observer about a number of topics in a lengthy conversation following his five-plus days in Las Vegas with the team. — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026 Of course, this magazine has a long tradition of engaging with mundane topics—pinball machines, pencil sharpeners, sand—in surprisingly affecting ways. — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 22 July 2026 While the specific topics of the forthcoming film remain under wraps, sources told Deadline that Babe Dahlgren — the player who replaced Gehrig at first base following his departure from the Yankees — is expected to have an important presence. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for topic

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

Phrases Containing topic

Rhymes for topic

See All Rhymes for topic

Browse Nearby Words

topiary
topic
topical
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Topic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topic. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

topic

noun
top·​ic ˈtäp-ik How to pronounce topic (audio)
1
: a heading in an outline of a subject or explanation
2
: the subject or a section of a subject (as of a speech or a report)

More from Merriam-Webster on topic

Nglish: Translation of topic for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All