'adrenocortical' originates from Latin, specifically the words 'adrenal' and 'cortex', where 'ad-' meant 'toward' and 'renal' referred to 'kidney', and 'cortex' meant 'bark or outer layer'.

'adrenal' combined with 'cortex' to form the modern English word 'adrenocortical'.

Initially, it meant 'pertaining to the outer layer of the adrenal glands', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.