topic

UK: /ˈtɒpɪk/ US: /ˈtɑpɪk/ ,(top′ik)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

top•ic /ˈtɑpɪk/   n. [countable]

1. a subject of discussion:
   I've strayed off the topic.
2. the subject of a speech or piece of writing:
   Introduce your topic with a clear sentence and then give examples to support it.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

top•ic  (top′ik), n. 

1. a subject of conversation or discussion:
   to provide a topic for discussion.
2. the subject or theme of a discourse or of one of its parts.
3. Rhet., Logic. a general field of considerations from which arguments can be drawn.
4. Also called theme.[Ling.] the part of a sentence that announces the item about which the rest of the sentence communicates information, often signaled by initial position in the sentence or by a grammatical marker. Cf. comment (def. 6).

• Greek (tà) topiká name of work by Aristotle (literally, (things) pertaining to commonplaces), equivalent. to tóp(os) commonplace + -ika, neuter plural of -ikos -ic; see topo-
• Latin topica (plural)
• 1560–70

Synonyms

• 2. thesis, subject matter. See subject.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

topic / ˈtɒpɪk/ noun

1. a subject or theme of a speech, essay, book, etc
2. a subject of conversation; item of discussion

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin topica translating Greek ta topika, literally: matters relating to commonplaces, title of a treatise by Aristotle, from topoi, pl of topos place, commonplace