topic
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (2)topics
- the subject matter of a conversation or discussion“he didn't want to discuss that subject”“it was a very sensitive topic”“his letters were always on the theme of love”Synonyms: subjectthemeType of message, contentKinds question, keynote, bone of contention, precedent
- some situation or event that is thought about“he kept drifting off the topic”“he had been thinking about the subject for several years”“it is a matter for the police”Synonyms: subjectissuematterType of content, cognitive contentKinds area, remit, blind spot, res judicata
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun subject, theme
- Spanish
- tema
- French
- thème
- German
- Thema
- Italian
- argomento
- Portuguese
- assunto
- Turkish
- konu
- Russian
- те́ма téma
- Arabic
- مَوْضُوع mawḍūʕ
- Chinese
- 主题 zhǔtí
- Japanese
- トピック topikku
26 more languages
- Dutch
- onderwerp
- Polish
- temat
- Swedish
- samtalsämne
- Greek
- θέμα théma
- Korean
- 토픽 topik
- Indonesian
- topik
- Vietnamese
- chủ đề
- Hungarian
- téma
- Portuguese (PT)
- assunto
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 主題 zhǔtí
- Czech
- téma
- Danish
- emne
- Esperanto
- temo
- Estonian
- teema
- Finnish
- aihe
- Georgian
- თემა tema
- Hebrew
- נוֹשֵׂא nosé
- Icelandic
- efni
- Kurdish
- mijar
- Latvian
- temats
- Lithuanian
- tema
- Norwegian
- emne
- Romanian
- temă
- Slovak
- téma
- Slovenian
- tema
- Yiddish
- טעמע teme
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: F. topiques, pl., L. topica the title of a work of Aristotle, Gr. τοπικά, fr. τοπικός of or for place, concerning τόποι, or commonplaces, fr. τόπος a place.
(a) One of the various general forms of argument employed in probable as distinguished from demonstrative reasoning, — denominated by Aristotle τόποι (literally, places), as being the places or sources from which arguments may be derived, or to which they may be referred; also, a prepared form of argument, applicable to a great variety of cases, with a supply of which the ancient rhetoricians and orators provided themselves; a commonplace of argument or oratory. (b) pl. A treatise on forms of argument; a system or scheme of forms or commonplaces of argument or oratory; as, the Topics of Aristotle.
These topics, or loci, were no other than general ideas applicable to a great many different subjects, which the orator was directed to consult.— Hugh Blair
In this question by [reason] I do not mean a distinct topic, but a transcendent that runs through all topics.— Taylor, Jeremy
2. An argument or reason. obsolete
Contumacious persons, who are not to be fixed by any principles, whom no topics can work upon.— Bp. John Wilkins
3. The subject of any distinct portion of a discourse, or argument, or literary composition; also, the general or main subject of the whole; a matter treated of; a subject, as of conversation or of thought; a matter; a point; a head.
4. Medicine An external local application or remedy, as a plaster, a blister, etc. Obsoles. Richard Wiseman
Topical. Drayton. Holland.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54