'anodise' is formed from 'anode' + the verb-forming suffix '-ise' (British spelling of '-ize'); 'anode' originates from Greek 'anodos' meaning 'upward way' ('ana-' meaning 'up' + 'hodos' meaning 'way').

The element 'anode' was coined in the 19th century from Greek 'anodos'; the verb-form was created by adding the productive suffix (Greek '-izein' → Latin/French '-ize/-ise') to produce 'anodize' (US) and 'anodise' (UK) in modern English, with usage becoming common in the 19th–20th century as electrochemistry developed.

Originally tied to the notion of 'relating to an anode' or 'making an anode,' the term came to mean specifically 'to form a protective or functional oxide film by anodic oxidation' in industrial and scientific contexts.