'autolatry' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the elements 'autos' and 'latreia', where 'autos' meant 'self' and 'latreia' meant 'worship'.

'autolatry' was formed in English as a learned coinage by combining the Greek prefix 'auto-' (from 'autos') with the suffix '-latry' (from Greek 'latreia', via Late Latin 'latria'), preserving the sense of 'worship'.

Initially it meant 'worship of oneself', and over time it has retained that core meaning, being used chiefly to denote excessive self-admiration.