'autoeroticism' originates from Greek 'autos' and Greek 'erōtikos' via Modern Latin/French and English formation, where 'autos' meant 'self' and 'erōt-' (from 'eros') meant 'love, desire', with the suffix '-ism' indicating a state or condition.

'autoeroticism' was formed in English by combining the prefix 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos') with 'eroticism' (from 'erotic' + '-ism'); the compound came into use in psychological and medical literature in the late 19th to early 20th century.

Initially it referred to self-directed sexual desire or stimulation; over time the core meaning has remained largely consistent, though its use broadened in clinical, psychological, and sexological contexts.