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

The anti-nuclear artists collective whose work is on display at Pitzer College in Claremont never predicted a nuclear proliferation crisis would break out in the Middle East during their exhibit, or how grimly topical their work would quickly become as a result. —Chloe Shrager, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026

Treatments range from waiting for hair to regrow on its own to using topical solutions, red light therapy and in-office procedures. —Nicole Hernandez, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026

If anyone figured any of this would dissuade the part of Simpson’s fan base that came to know him as an alternative country artist first, and not someone who does topical disco, that dissuasion did not materialize. —Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026

Some of the most common topical allergy medications are corticosteroid creams, which have anti-inflammatory properties. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for topical

• tropical
• intertropical
• microscopical
• 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