topographical

adjective

to·​po·​graph·​i·​cal ˌtä-pə-ˈgra-fi-kəl 

ˌtō-

1

: topographic

2

: of, relating to, or concerned with the artistic representation of a particular locality

a topographical poem

topographical painting

topographically

ˌtä-pə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē 

ˌtō-

adverb

Examples of topographical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Are the swirls supposed to be a topographical reference, a nod to how those Alps might be displayed on a map? —Nick Miller, New York Times, 28 June 2025

To get high-resolution and detailed topographical images of the surface, the team carefully collected three micro-samples from the specimen, taking extra care to minimize damage. —Jay Kakade june 15, New Atlas, 15 June 2025

My nose looked no smaller, but there was a smoothness that there wasn’t before, more like a child’s drawing of a mountain than a topographical map of one. —Alice Gregory, Vogue, 4 June 2025

This unique technique, developed during her time at Auckland University of Technology, results in textured, topographical pieces that celebrate the beauty of the natural world. —Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for topographical

• biographical
• epigraphical
• ethnographical
• geographical
• petrographical
• stratigraphical
• typographical
• autobiographical
• biogeographical
• graphical
• historiographical
• iconographical

Medical Definition

topographical

adjective

topo·​graph·​i·​cal ˌtäp-ə-ˈgraf-i-kəl 

variants or topographic

-ik 

1

: of, relating to, or concerned with topography

topographical correspondences between the skin and the cortex

—F. A. Geldard

2

: of or relating to a mind made up of different strata and especially of the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious

topographically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb