'adrenalectomy' originates from 'Latin', specifically the word 'adrenalis', where 'ad-' meant 'toward' and 'renalis' meant 'kidney', combined with 'ectomy' from Greek 'ektemnein' meaning 'to cut out'.

'adrenalis' transformed into the modern English word 'adrenal', and 'ectomy' was added to form 'adrenalectomy'.

Initially, it meant 'to cut out the adrenal gland', and this meaning has remained the same in modern usage.