'anisometropy' originates from Greek elements, specifically 'anisos' and 'metron' (with 'ops' contributing via the element 'metropia'), where 'anisos' meant 'unequal', 'metron' meant 'measure', and 'ops' meant 'eye'.

'anisometropy' developed as a medical formation related to 'anisometropia' (from Modern/Neo-Latin formation combining Greek elements) and entered English usage as a term describing unequal refractive measures between the eyes.

Initially formed from elements meaning 'unequal measure (of the eye)', it evolved into the current specialized meaning 'difference in refractive power between the two eyes'.