elective mutism

[ih-lek-tiv myoo-tiz-uhm]

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an unwillingness to speak in nearly all social environments, a condition not attributed to an organic speech disorder but rather to a defiant refusal that may stem from depression or trauma.

Word History and Origins

Origin of elective mutism¹

First recorded in 1945–1950

Example Sentences

He doesn’t speak, though doctors have said he can but has “elective mutism.”

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This can happen to children – it's called elective mutism.

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Mouse is an 11-year-old girl suffering from elective mutism, although she communicates to an astoundingly eloquent degree through letters, texts and scribbled messages.

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Until about 15 years ago, children were routinely considered to have "elective mutism," which suggests the silence is willful and controlling.

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