'arthrosis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'arthrōsis', where 'arthron' meant 'joint' and the suffix '-ōsis' meant 'condition' or 'disease'.

'arthrōsis' passed into medical (Neo-)Latin as 'arthrosis' and was adopted into English medical usage by the 19th century.

Initially it referred broadly to conditions of the joint; over time it has come to be used especially for degenerative joint disease (often synonymous with osteoarthritis in clinical contexts).