'apollonistic' originates from Modern English, ultimately from Greek, specifically the name 'Apóllōn' (Ancient Greek 'Ἀπόλλων'), where 'Apóllōn' referred to the god Apollo associated with light, music, harmony, and reason.

'apollonistic' developed by combining the name 'Apollon' (borrowed into Latin and later English from Greek) with the English adjectival suffix '-istic'. The name passed through Latin 'Apollō' and Medieval/Modern English 'Apollon' before forming the adjective 'apollonistic'.

Initially the element referred specifically to the god 'Apollo', but over time adjectives derived from the name came to describe the abstract qualities associated with him (order, clarity, restraint), yielding the current meaning 'characteristic of Apollonian qualities'.