'autosuggestive' originates from English, specifically formed from the Greek element 'autos' meaning 'self' and the Late Latin/Latin-derived word 'suggestive' (from Late Latin 'suggestio').

'autosuggestive' was formed in modern English by combining the prefix 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos') with 'suggestive'. 'Suggestive' traces back through Middle English and Old French to Late Latin 'suggestio' (from Latin 'suggerere', 'sub-' + 'gerere').

Initially, the compound meant 'pertaining to self-suggestion' or 'capable of producing self-suggestion'; over time it has retained this core sense of producing or encouraging suggestion, often in a subtle or unconscious way.