echo chamber

[ ek-oh cheym-ber ]

noun

1. a room or other enclosed space that amplifies and reflects sound, generally used for broadcasting or recording echos or hollow sound effects: The hallway is a giant echo chamber.

   an open-air echo chamber;

   The hallway is a giant echo chamber.

2. an environment in which the same opinions are repeatedly voiced and promoted, so that people are not exposed to opposing views: We need to move beyond the echo chamber of our network to understand diverse perspectives.

   an online echo chamber;

   We need to move beyond the echo chamber of our network to understand diverse perspectives.

echo chamber

noun

1. a room with walls that reflect sound. It is used to make acoustic measurements and as a source of reverberant sound to be mixed with direct sound for recording or broadcasting Also calledreverberation chamber

Word History and Origins

Origin of echo chamber¹

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Example Sentences

Most lawmakers tend to all sing the same tune in their guarded echo chamber, ignoring different sounding appeals from the public.

From Los Angeles Times

In too many ways, they appear locked in an echo chamber, largely talking to each other and convincing themselves that all intelligent and rational people agree with them.

From Salon

Murphy World can feel like an echo chamber, similar in scope if not tone or subject to Taylor Sheridan’s tales of the West, headlined by “Yellowstone.”

From Los Angeles Times

Trump and his propagandists across the right-wing hate media echo chamber are also dragging out the old Cold War era-slur that Kamala Harris is a “communist.”

From Salon

For now, though, it’s clear Democrats have momentum and are enjoying the feeling of optimism for the first time in years — while their opponent melts down in an echo chamber of his own making.

From Salon