mutism

/ˈmjuːtɪzəm/
noun
  1. The condition of being unable or unwilling to speak, often due to physical, psychological, or developmental reasons.
    • Selective mutism is a disorder where a person can speak in some settings but not others.
    • The child's mutism was caused by severe anxiety in social situations.
    • After the accident, he experienced temporary mutism due to brain injury.
What does "mutism" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean