'archsatrap' originates from modern English as a compound of 'arch-' and 'satrap'; 'arch-' ultimately comes from Greek 'arkhos' meaning 'chief', and 'satrap' comes from Old Persian 'xšathrapavan' meaning 'protector of the province'.

'archsatrap' was formed in English by combining 'arch-' (Greek-derived) with 'satrap' (via Greek 'satrapēs' from Old Persian 'xšathrapavan'); 'satrap' passed into Middle English and modern English from these earlier forms, and the compound 'archsatrap' appears later as a coined emphatic or figurative term.

Initially it meant 'chief satrap' in a literal, administrative sense; over time it has been used more often figuratively to mean 'a dominant or autocratic regional ruler' or 'an overbearing official'.