'attractance' originates from Latin, specifically the verb 'attrahere', where the prefix 'ad-' (seen as 'at-') meant 'to, toward' and 'trahere' meant 'to pull'. The English noun is formed with the suffix '-ance' meaning 'state or quality'.

'attrahere' passed into Old French and Middle English forms of the verb (e.g. Old French 'attraire', Middle English 'attracten'/'attract'), leading to the modern English verb 'attract' and the derived noun 'attractance' (formed by adding '-ance').

Initially the root meant 'to pull toward'; over time the derived English nouns came to mean 'the state or power of attracting', a sense preserved in 'attractance'.