'acroatic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'akroatēs,' where 'akro-' meant 'topmost' or 'extreme' and '-tēs' was a suffix used to form adjectives.

'akroatēs' transformed into the Latin word 'acroaticus,' and eventually became the modern English word 'acroatic' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'pertaining to the highest or most abstract teachings,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.