mutism

noun

mut·​ism ˈmyü-ˌti-zəm 

: the condition of being unable to speak whether from physical, functional, or psychological cause

Examples of mutism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Marriages on track for divorce are featured in Queen of Tears, where Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won are a couple who have grown apart, and in When The Phone Rings, where Yoo Yeon-seok and his wife, played by Chae Soo-bin, cannot communicate, only in part because of her selective mutism. —Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

She was diagnosed with separation anxiety and selective mutism. —Claire Cain Miller, New York Times, 1 July 2024

The child-trafficking setups are pretty triggering to Kimiko, who has been seeing various therapists about her selective mutism. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 June 2024

Pamela, an African-American teacher in the Bay Area, recalled how her own middle school teacher took the time to find out that her selective mutism was a response to her family moving incessantly. —Allison Pugh, TIME, 14 Aug. 2024

Hypnotists told me stories of all kinds of miracles that came from stage shows: chronic pain vanished or a years-long mutism reversed. —Emily Latimer, Longreads, 25 Jan. 2024

Even at home, children with selective mutism may fall silent when anyone other than a family member is present. —Marisa Cohen, Parents, 18 Sep. 2023

The panel includes generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder, phobias and selective mutism under the category of anxiety. —Simrin Singh, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2022

Many mental disorders fall under the greater anxiety umbrella: phobias, social anxiety, PTSD, OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia and even childhood disorders like separation anxiety and selective mutism. —Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 9 June 2021

Word History

Etymology

French mutisme, from Latin mutus mute

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

mutism

noun

mut·​ism ˈmyüt-ˌiz-əm 

: the condition of being unable to speak whether from physical, functional, or psychological cause see also selective mutism