'autoactivation' originates from Greek and Latin, specifically the prefix 'auto-' from Greek 'autos', where 'autos' meant 'self', and the element 'activation' from Latin 'activare', where 'activare' meant 'to make active'.

'activation' developed from Latin 'activare' (from 'activus' meaning 'active') via Late Latin and borrowing into Old French/Medieval Latin and then Middle English as 'activate' and 'activation'. The prefix 'auto-' comes from Greek 'autos' and was adopted into English compounds, producing the modern compound 'autoactivation'.

Initially, the components meant 'self' and 'to make active'; over time their combination has come to denote specifically 'self-induced activation' or 'activation caused by the entity itself', especially in scientific and technical contexts.