'anisoptera' originates from New Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek, specifically the Greek words 'anisos' (ἄνισος) and 'pteron' (πτερόν), where 'anisos' meant 'unequal' and 'pteron' meant 'wing'.

'anisoptera' was formed in Modern taxonomic Latin in entomology using Greek roots; the combination 'Anisoptera' came into use as the name for the suborder of dragonflies in 19th-century zoological classification.

Initially it literally meant 'unequal wings' (describing the wing condition), and over time it evolved into a technical taxonomic name referring to the group of insects known as dragonflies (the suborder Anisoptera).