'asymbiotic' originates from Greek-derived elements in English: the negative prefix 'a-' (from Greek 'a-', meaning 'not') combined with 'symbiotic' (from Greek 'symbiosis').

'symbiosis' comes from Greek 'sumbiōsis' (συμβίωσις) formed from 'syn-/sym-' ('together') + 'bios' ('life'); Latin and New Latin forms carried 'symbiosis' into English, and the adjective 'symbiotic' was formed; later English formed 'asymbiotic' by adding the prefix 'a-' to 'symbiotic'.

Initially built to mean 'not living together' or 'not in symbiosis'; this core negative meaning has been retained in modern usage to indicate organisms or relationships that are not symbiotic.