'asclepiadaceous' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'Asclepiadaceae', where 'Asclepiad-' ultimately derives from Ancient Greek 'Asklepias' (the genus name, itself from 'Asclepius', the Greek god of healing).

'asclepiadaceous' was formed from the New Latin family-name 'Asclepiadaceae' combined with the Latin adjectival suffix '-aceous' (from Latin '-aceus'), yielding an English adjective meaning 'belonging to or resembling Asclepiadaceae'.

Initially it meant 'belonging to the family Asclepiadaceae'; over time it has been used more broadly to mean 'resembling or characteristic of plants of that family'.