'autooxidation' originates from Greek and New Latin/modern English, specifically the parts 'auto-' from Greek 'autos' and 'oxidation' from New Latin 'oxidatio' (via French/Latin 'oxide'), where 'autos' meant 'self' and 'oxys' (root of 'oxide') meant 'sharp' or 'acid' (later associated with 'oxygen').

'autooxidation' was originally written as 'auto-oxidation' in scientific texts and later became the closed compound 'autooxidation' in modern English; 'oxidation' itself derived from 'oxide' (French/Latin) which ultimately traces to Greek 'oxys'.

Initially the components referred simply to 'self' + 'formation of oxides/by oxygen', but the modern term has specialized to mean non-enzymatic, often free-radical-driven oxidation processes (e.g., lipid peroxidation) rather than only formation of simple oxides.