Origin: Latin suffix -al
Topical has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
A topical anaesthetic.
"The dentist applied a topical anaesthetic to numb the patient's gums before the procedure."
pertaining to the surface of a body part
"a drug for topical (or local) application"
"a topical anesthesia"
of or relating to or arranged by topics
"a detailed record on both a chronological and a topical basis"
of interest at the present time
"a topical reference"
"a topical and timely study of civil liberty"
Relating to a particular topic or subject.
"The professor's lecture was highly topical, focusing entirely on recent advancements in quantum computing."
In plain English: Topical means something that is about a specific subject happening right now, especially when it relates to current events or trends people are talking about today.
"The article was very topical since it discussed issues happening right now in our community."
Usage: Use topical when discussing something directly related to current events or immediate relevance, rather than general interest. This word is often confused with topographic, which refers specifically to maps and surface features of land.
The word topical comes from combining the Latin root topicus, meaning "of a subject," with the suffix -al. It entered English to describe something related to or focused on a specific topic.