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

According to Hall, topical PDRN can still hydrate skin, reduce inflammation and support natural repair processes, helping the complexion appear calmer and more comfortable. — Lucy Partington, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026

That's from a paper out of South Australia's Flinders University, which reviewed several studies conducted over the last 20 years that investigated vanillin's role in wound healing, and topical drug delivery systems. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026

Oral and topical routines will be sold as a system, not a choice. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026

How hair supplements work The oral-versus-topical distinction matters more than most marketing lets on. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for topical

• tropical
• intertropical
• 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