'apadana' originates from Old Persian, specifically the word 'apadāna', which referred to a covered hall or audience hall in a palace.

'apadana' passed into ancient Greek (recorded in classical sources describing Persian palaces) and later entered modern European scholarly usage during 18th–19th century archaeological study, becoming the English term 'apadana'.

Initially it denoted the specific ceremonial hall in Achaemenid palaces; over time the term retained this specialized architectural meaning and is now mainly used in archaeological and architectural contexts.