Definition of mutism
: the condition of being unable to speak whether from physical, functional, or psychological cause
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Recent Examples of mutism from the Web
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Otunga says Kylee has selective mutism — an anxiety disorder when someone who is capable of speech cannot speak in particular situations or to certain people — and rarely says very many words.
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After all, severe autism repels language, turns it chaotic or, in the case of autistic mutism, simply absorbs it wholesale, as a black hole does light.
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Researchers say selective mutism is caused by anxiety, not stubbornness, so many parents of children with the disorder turn to psychiatric drugs.
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Origin and Etymology of mutism
French mutisme, from Latin mutus mute
Medical Dictionary
medical Definition of mutism
: the condition of being mute whether from physical, functional, or psychological cause
Learn More about mutism
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See words that rhyme with mutism Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mutism
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