Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
echolalia Audio
ech·o·la·li·a [ ek-oh-ley-lee-uh ]
Subclass of:
Speech Disorders
Etymology:
Greek echo = an echo + lalia = speech
A repetition by the patient of any words spoken to him.
Definitions related to echolalia:
  • A symptom of neurologic or psychiatric dysfunction in which the individual involuntarily and meaninglessly repeats a recently heard word, series of words, or a song.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Involuntarily repeating of other peoples words.
    NICHD Pediatric Terminology
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Involuntary (parrot-like), meaningless repetition of a recently heard word, phrase, or song. This condition may be associated with transcortical APHASIA; SCHIZOPHRENIA; or other disorders. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p485)
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Psychopathological repeating of words or phrases of one person by another; tends to be repetitive and persistent. Seen in certain kinds of schizophrenia, particularly the catatonic types.
    Sadock's Comprehensive Glossary of Psychiatry and Psychology
    BJ Sadock Titles Press, 2012
  • Echolalia is the automatic imitative repetition of sounds, words, or phrases in the absence of explicit awareness. The repeated words or phrases are typically odd or used in a non-social manner. These can be words or phrases that the affected individual has heard or invented.
    Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)
    The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2025
Try this search on: Farlex, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary, or Wordnik

This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.