Topicality
/ˌtɒpɪˈkælɪti/noun
The quality of being relevant to current events or the present moment.
Did you know?Its deepest root is Greek *tópos* (“place”), the same ancient source behind rhetorical “commonplaces,” where ideas were stored like mental rooms long before modern media made everything about the now.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
tópos
“place; a position or location”
Late Latin
Latin
topicus
“of a place; in rhetoric, pertaining to commonplaces or topics”
Middle French
French
topique
“pertaining to a subject or topic”
16th Century
English
topical
“pertaining to a subject under discussion; local, not general”
19th Century
English
topicality
“the quality of being topical; relevance to current events”
Explore more surprising origins