Current head I cite briefly (7)
I believe the answer is:
topical
'current' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'head i cite briefly' is the wordplay.
'head' becomes 'top' (synonyms).
'cite' becomes 'call' (cite can mean to call upon).
'briefly' means to remove the last letter.
'call' with its final letter taken away is 'cal'.
'top'+'i'+'cal'='TOPICAL'
(Other definitions for topical that I've seen before include "currently under discussion" , "Like The Sunday Times" , "Having reference to current events" , "Applied externally" , "Contemporary" .)