'alkylarylsulfonate' originates from combining 'alkyl', 'aryl', and 'sulfonate', where 'alkyl' refers to a type of hydrocarbon group, 'aryl' refers to an aromatic hydrocarbon group, and 'sulfonate' refers to a salt or ester of sulfonic acid.

'alkylarylsulfonate' was formed by combining chemical terminology to describe a specific class of compounds used in industrial applications.

Initially, it referred to a specific chemical structure, and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.