'appetence' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'appetentia', where 'ad-' (in the form assimilated to 'ap-') meant 'toward' and 'petere' meant 'to seek or strive'.

'appetence' changed from Late Latin 'appetentia' and was borrowed into French (as 'appétence' or similar forms) before entering English from the 17th century; the modern English form derives from these borrowings.

Initially it meant 'striving toward' or 'desire to obtain', but over time it evolved into the modern sense of 'a desire, appetite, or inclination'.