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Noun: echolalia  ,e-kow'ley-lee-u
  1. An infant's repetition of sounds uttered by others
    "The baby's echolalia was a sign of normal language development"; "Her echolalia charmed her parents as she mimicked their words"
     
  2. (psychiatry) mechanical and meaningless repetition of the words of another person (as in schizophrenia)
    "Echolalia is sometimes observed in individuals with autism"; "The patient's echolalia made communication difficult"

Derived forms: echolalias

Type of: echo, repeating, repetition

Encyclopedia: Echolalia