I. -pə̇kəl, -pēk- adjective
Etymology: Greek topikos of a place, of a commonplace + English -al
1.
a. : of or relating to a place
b. : designed for or involving local application or action (as on the body)
a topical remedy
a topical anesthetic
2. obsolete : not demonstrative : merely probable
3.
a. : of, relating to, or arranged by topics
a detailed record, on both a chronological and a topical basis — Jacob Viner
b. : referring to the topics of the day or place : of local or temporary interest
the topical , the contingent and therefore ephemeral stuff which all novels contain — Edward Sackville-West
a topical , timely and useful study of civil liberty — J.B.Oakes
• top·i·cal·ly -k(ə)lē, -li adverb
II. noun
( -s )
: a coin or postage stamp bearing a design relating to some general topic (as animals, flowers, or ships) that is often used as a theme for a collection