'aphakic' originates from New Latin/modern medical formation, ultimately from Greek: prefix 'a-' meaning 'without' and Greek 'phakos' meaning 'lens' (literally 'lentil').

'aphakic' is derived from the noun 'aphakia' (New Latin/medical), which itself comes from Greek 'aphakos' ('a-' + 'phakos'); the English adjective was formed with the adjectival suffix '-ic' to yield 'aphakic'.

Initially it denoted the state of being 'without a lens'; this medical sense has been retained in modern usage to describe eyes or persons lacking the crystalline lens.