'autolithographic' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'autos', 'lithos' and 'graphos', where 'autos' meant 'self', 'lithos' meant 'stone', and 'graphos' meant 'writing/drawing'.

'autolithographic' developed from the noun 'autolithography' (coined in the late 19th century from Greek roots) with the adjectival suffix '-ic' to form 'autolithographic'.

Initially it meant 'pertaining to printing from a stone drawn by the artist himself'; over time the term has retained this specialist meaning, referring to both the process and works produced by that process.