'Areopagite' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'Ἀρειοπαγίτης' (Areiopagítēs), where 'Ἄρης' meant 'Ares' and 'πάγος' meant 'rock' or 'hill'.

'Areopagite' passed into Late Latin as 'Areopagita' and into Medieval and then Modern English as 'Areopagite', ultimately yielding the current English form 'Areopagite'.

Initially, it meant 'a member of the Areopagus'; over time the term retained that literal sense while also becoming a title associated with specific historical or ecclesiastical figures (for example, Dionysius the Areopagite).