Wordnet 3.0
ADJECTIVE (3)
1.
pertaining to the surface of a body part;
- Example: "a drug for topical (or local) application"- Example: "a topical anesthesia"2.
of or relating to or arranged by topics;
- Example: "a detailed record on both a chronological and a topical basis"3.
of interest at the present time;
- Example: "a topical reference"- Example: "a topical and timely study of civil liberty"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Topical \Top"ic*al\, a. [Cf. F. topique, LL. topicus, Gr. ?. See
Topic, n.]
1. Of or pertaining to a place; limited; logical application;
as, a topical remedy; a topical claim or privilege.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Rhet. & logic) Pertaining to, or consisting of, a topic
or topics; according to topics.
[1913 Webster]
3. Resembling a topic, or general maxim; hence, not
demonstrative, but merely probable, as an argument.
[1913 Webster]
Evidences of fact can be no more than topical and
probable. --Sir M. Hale.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
topical
adj 1: pertaining to the surface of a body part; "a drug for
topical (or local) application"; "a topical anesthesia"
2: of or relating to or arranged by topics; "a detailed record
on both a chronological and a topical basis"
3: of interest at the present time; "a topical reference"; "a
topical and timely study of civil liberty"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
38 Moby Thesaurus words for "topical":
actual, as is, being, confined, contemporaneous, contemporary,
current, existent, existing, extant, fresh, geographically limited,
immanent, immediate, instant, insular, latest, limited, local,
localized, modern, new, of a place, parochial, present,
present-age, present-day, present-time, provincial, running,
superficial, that be, that is, thematic, timely, up-to-date,
up-to-the-minute, vernacular