'autarkical' originates from modern European usage ultimately tracing back to Greek 'autarkēs', where 'auto-' meant 'self' and 'arkein' meant 'to suffice'.

'autarkical' changed through forms such as German 'autarkisch' and English noun 'autarky' and adjective 'autarkic', eventually appearing in English as 'autarkical' to describe something relating to autarky.

Initially denoting the quality of being self-sufficient ('self-sufficing'), the meaning has remained largely stable and now describes policies or systems emphasizing economic or political independence.