Meaning & use

topic

noun·Everyday

The subject that is being discussed, written about, or studied.

See it in a sentence

The professor assigned each student a different topic for their research paper.

Climate change was the main topic of conversation at the dinner table.

A note on using this word

Topic refers to the general subject of discussion, while theme often implies a deeper, underlying idea running through a work, so the two are not always interchangeable.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “topic”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.