'arthroempyema' originates from Greek and Neo-Latin medical formation, specifically the combining form 'arthro-' from Greek 'arthron' where 'arthron' meant 'joint', and 'empyema' from Greek 'empyēma' where 'empyēma' meant 'a collection of pus'.

'arthroempyema' was formed in modern medical English by combining the Greek-derived prefix 'arthro-' (from Greek 'arthron') with 'empyema' (from Greek 'empyēma'); 'empyēma' passed into Late/Medieval Latin as 'empyema' and then into English medical usage as 'empyema', later producing compounds such as 'arthroempyema'.

Initially, the root 'empyēma' meant 'a collection of pus' in a general sense, but in modern medical usage compounds like 'arthroempyema' have the more specific meaning 'a collection of pus within a joint'.