'autosuggestionist' originates from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self', combined with 'suggestion' (from Latin 'suggestio', from 'suggerere' meaning 'to bring up, suggest'), and the agentive suffix '-ist' (from Late Latin/French) meaning 'one who practices'.

'autosuggestionist' developed from the noun 'autosuggestion' + the suffix '-ist'. 'Autosuggestion' entered English from French in the late 19th to early 20th century (popularized by Émile Coué); 'auto-' comes from Greek 'autos' and 'suggestion' from Latin 'suggestio'.

Initially the related term 'autosuggestion' referred to the process of applying suggestion to oneself; over time the compound with '-ist' came to denote a person who practices that process, retaining the original sense of self-directed suggestion.