'apractic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'apraxia' (ἀπραξία), where 'a-' meant 'not' and 'praxis' meant 'action' or 'practice'.

'apractic' was formed in modern medical English from the Greek-derived term 'apraxia' (via New Latin/medical usage) with the adjectival suffix '-tic'; it entered English usage in medical contexts in the late 19th to early 20th century.

Initially it meant 'without action' or 'not able to act'; over time it became specialized to mean the neurological inability to perform skilled or learned movements (apraxia).