'athletocracy' originates as a modern English coinage combining Greek 'athlētēs' (ἄθλητής) meaning 'athlete' and the Greek-derived suffix '-kracy' (from 'kratos') meaning 'rule' or 'power'.

'athletocracy' was formed in modern English by analogy with established -cracy words such as 'aristocracy' and 'democracy' rather than evolving directly from a single classical word; it appears as a late coinage (19th–20th c.) in discussions of social or political organization.

Initially coined to denote specifically 'rule by athletes,' the term has largely retained that sense and is often used figuratively to describe athlete dominance in institutions or culture.