'autoerotic' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'autos' and 'erotic' (from 'erōs'), where 'autos' meant 'self' and 'erōs' meant 'love' or 'desire'.

'autoerotic' was formed in English by combining the prefix 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos') with 'erotic' (from Greek 'erōtikós' via Latin and French 'érotique'), resulting in the compound 'auto-erotic' which eventually appears as the modern single word 'autoerotic'.

Initially formed to describe sexual desire or arousal directed at the self ('self-directed sexual desire'), and over time it has retained that specific meaning in medical, psychological, and common usage.