'anankastic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'anankastikos,' where 'anankē' meant 'necessity' or 'compulsion.'

'anankastikos' was adopted into modern psychological terminology as 'anankastic' to describe compulsive traits, especially in psychiatry.

Initially, it meant 'compelled by necessity,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'relating to compulsive thoughts or behaviors.'