'antisepticize' originates from modern English, specifically the word 'antiseptic' + the suffix '-ize', where 'antiseptic' ultimately comes from Greek 'antiseptikos' meaning 'against putrefaction' and the suffix '-ize' (from Greek '-izein' via Latin/French) means 'to make or to become'.

'antisepticize' changed from the adjective 'antiseptic' (a 19th-century medical English formation from Greek via modern European languages) by adding the productive verb-forming suffix '-ize', yielding the modern verb 'antisepticize'. 'Antiseptic' itself derives from Greek 'antiseptikos' and entered English through scientific/medical usage.

Initially it meant 'to apply an antiseptic (to prevent infection)', and over time it retained that core medical meaning while also acquiring a figurative sense of 'to sanitize or make less offensive'.