'atrabiliousness' originates from Late Latin, specifically the word 'atrabiliosus', where 'atra-' (or 'ater') meant 'black' and 'bilis' meant 'bile'.

'atrabiliousness' developed from Latin 'atrabilis' and Medieval/ Late Latin 'atrabiliosus', gave rise to the English adjective 'atrabilious', and was later nominalized as 'atrabiliousness'.

Initially it referred to qualities thought to be caused by 'black bile' (melancholy or sullen temperament), but over time it came to mean simply 'melancholy, moroseness, or ill-temperedness' in general use.