'autonoetic' originates from Modern English formation combining Greek elements: 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos') meaning 'self' and 'noetic' (from Greek 'noētikos') relating to intellect or mental activity.

'autonoetic' was formed in the 20th century for use in psychology (notably by Endel Tulving) from the prefix 'auto-' + 'noetic' (from Greek 'noēsis'/'noētikos'), building on the classical Greek roots rather than a direct single-source borrowing.

Initially formed to label a specific type of episodic, self-knowing consciousness in cognitive psychology; the meaning has remained specialized and technical, referring to that form of self-aware episodic memory.