'autodial' is a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos', meaning 'self') and the verb 'dial' (to operate a telephone dial).

'auto-' originates from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self'; 'dial' originally comes via Latin (Late Latin 'dialis' related to 'day' for sundials) and developed in English to mean a rotating plate or mechanism and then the action of entering telephone numbers; the compound 'autodial' arose in the 20th century with telephone automation and gave rise to variants like 'autodialer'/'autodialler' and 'autodialling'.

Originally, 'dial' was associated with sundials and the concept of 'day'; its meaning shifted to denote a rotating indicator or plate and later the action of selecting telephone numbers. Consequently, 'autodial' came to mean 'to dial automatically', which is its present sense.