'augitic' originates from Greek via the mineral name 'augite' (from Greek 'augitēs' / 'augit-'), where the element 'aug-' (from Greek 'augē') meant 'brightness' or 'radiance'.

'augitic' developed from the mineral name 'augite' (Modern Latin/English), which itself was borrowed from Greek 'augitēs' and adapted in Neo-Latin/mineralogical nomenclature into English as 'augite' and then into the adjective 'augitic'.

Initially the root referred to 'brightness' (a property noted in the mineral's luster), but over time the term became specialized to describe the mineral augite and things composed of or containing that mineral; thus 'augitic' now means 'of or containing augite'.