Definition

Noun: 1. The quality or state of being of current interest or relevance: The attribute of dealing with or being related to subjects that are important, interesting, or widely discussed at the present time. 2. The characteristic of being applicable to or dealing with current events: The state of having immediate relevance to contemporary issues, news, or public discourse.

Usage

The noun "topicality" describes the characteristic of a subject, issue, or piece of information that makes it pertinent to the present moment. It is often used in contexts like journalism, academia, publishing, and public debate to assess the current relevance of a topic.

Examples

• The topicality of the documentary ensured high viewership, as it addressed the ongoing climate crisis.
• When selecting articles for the magazine, editors prioritize topicality to attract readers interested in current affairs.
• The professor questioned the topicality of the century-old economic theory in today's globalized market.
• A news story's topicality can fade quickly as events unfold and public attention shifts.

Advanced Usage

• "To lose topicality": To become outdated or no longer relevant to current discussions.
  • Research papers can lose their topicality if they are not published promptly after a breakthrough.
• "A matter of topicality": An issue concerning current relevance.
  • The debate was not about the facts but a matter of topicality—was the issue still a pressing public concern?

Variants and Related Words

• Topical (adjective): Pertaining to or dealing with matters of current interest.
  • The comedian's jokes were very topical, referencing that week's political scandal.
• Topically (adverb): In a way that relates to current topics.
  • The essay was topically organized around recent technological advancements.

Synonyms

• Timeliness: The quality of occurring at a suitable or opportune time.
• Currency: The state of being in general use or acceptance at a particular time.
• Relevance: The quality of being closely connected or appropriate to the matter at hand.
• Contemporaneity: The quality of belonging to or occurring in the present.

Antonyms

• Datedness: The quality of being old-fashioned or no longer current.
• Irrelevance: The quality of being not connected with or pertinent to something.
• Obsolescence: The process of becoming obsolete or out of date.

Noun

1. the attribute of being of interest at the present time
   • the library had to discard books that had lost their topicality