'aprosexia' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ἀπροσεξία' (aprosēxia), where the prefix 'a-' meant 'not' and 'prosexis' meant 'attention'.

'aprosexia' passed into medical Latin/Neo-Latin as 'aprosexia' and then entered modern English medical usage with the same form 'aprosexia'.

Initially it described 'absence or lack of attention' in Greek usage, and over time it has remained focused on the same clinical meaning of reduced or absent attention in modern usage.