deaf mute
/ˈdɛf ˈmjut/
adjective
- Describing a person who cannot hear or speak, now considered offensive. Modern usage prefers describing the specific condition (e.g., 'deaf', 'nonverbal') rather than using this label.
- The old hospital had a ward for deaf-mute patients.
- She found the term 'deaf-mute' in a book from the 1800s.
- Using 'deaf-mute' to describe someone is now seen as disrespectful.
Synonyms
noun
- An outdated and offensive term for a person who cannot hear or speak. Many deaf people communicate using sign language and do not consider themselves 'mute'. Preferred modern terms include 'deaf person', 'hard of hearing person', or 'nonverbal person'.
- The word 'deaf-mute' is considered a slur by many in the Deaf community.
- It is better to say 'a person who is deaf' instead of 'a deaf-mute'.
- In the past, schools for the deaf were sometimes called 'deaf-mute institutes'.