'apogeotropism' originates from Greek elements: 'apo-' (from Ancient Greek 'ἀπό') meaning 'away from', 'ge' (from 'γῆ') meaning 'earth', and 'tropism' (from 'τροπή') meaning 'turning'.

'apogeotropism' was formed in modern scientific coinage by combining the prefix 'apo-' with 'geotropism' (from 'ge-' + 'tropism'), entering botanical English usage as a technical term for growth away from the earth.

Initially, the components literally indicated 'turning away from the earth'; the botanical meaning has remained essentially the same as a technical term for negative geotropism.