'autostereoscopic' originates from Greek combining forms: specifically 'auto-' from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self', 'stereo-' from Greek 'stereos' meaning 'solid' (used for 'three-dimensional'), and the element '-scopic' from Greek 'skopein' meaning 'to look' or 'to examine'.

'autostereoscopic' was formed in English by combining 'auto-' + 'stereoscopic' (with 'stereoscopic' itself derived from 'stereoscope' and Greek roots 'stereos' + 'skopein'); the compound emerged in technical usage in the 20th century and became more common as glasses-free 3D display technologies developed.

Initially it described the general idea of 'self-produced stereoscopic' imaging; over time it has come to be used specifically for display technologies that produce a 3D effect without external viewing aids (glasses).