'acetophenetide' originates from 'acetophenetidin', specifically the word 'acetophenetidin', where 'aceto-' meant 'related to acetic acid' and 'phenetidin' referred to a chemical compound.

'acetophenetidin' changed from the German word 'Acetophenetidin' and eventually became the modern English word 'acetophenetide'.

Initially, it meant 'a chemical compound used in medicine', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a compound derived from acetanilide'.