'asynapsis' originates from Greek, specifically formed from the elements 'a-' and 'synapsis', where 'a-' meant 'not' and 'synapsis' meant 'a joining together'.

'asynapsis' was formed in Neo-Latin/modern scientific coinage by adding the Greek negative prefix 'a-' to 'synapsis' (from Greek 'synapsis' meaning 'joining'), and then adopted into English scientific usage as 'asynapsis'.

Initially, it meant 'lack of synapsis (failure of chromosome pairing)', and this technical meaning has remained consistent into modern usage.