'anilinism' originates from English, formed from 'aniline' plus the suffix '-ism,' where '-ism' denotes a pathological condition (as in 'plumbism').

'Aniline' entered English in the 19th century (via German 'Anilin' from Spanish 'añil'), and the derived medical term 'anilinism' arose in late 19th–early 20th century technical usage to denote poisoning by aniline.

Initially, it meant 'poisoning caused by aniline,' and this meaning has remained stable in modern technical usage.