'anoxemic' is a modern medical formation from the combining form 'an-' (meaning 'without') plus Neo-Latin/medical 'oxemia' (relating to oxygen in the blood).

'anoxemia' was formed in Neo-Latin from 'an-' + 'oxemia' (itself related to 'oxygen,' a 18th–19th century scientific coinage ultimately from Greek 'oxys'), and English adopted the adjective form 'anoxemic' from this medical Latin formation.

Originally coined to denote the absence or severe deficiency of oxygen in the blood, the term has retained this medical sense and is used to describe that condition or its effects.