MUTISM

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

The condition of being unable or unwilling to speak

Example:

her muteness was a consequence of her deafness

Synonyms:

muteness; mutism

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("mutism" is a kind of...):

condition; status (a state at a particular time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mutism"):

deaf-muteness; deaf-mutism (congenital deafness that results in inability to speak)