'axenically' ultimately derives from the adjective 'axenic', from New Latin/Modern scientific usage combining the prefix 'a-' meaning 'without' and Greek 'xénos' meaning 'foreign' or 'strange'.

'axenic' was formed in scientific New Latin (late 19th–20th century) from Greek elements 'a-' + 'xénos' ("foreign"); this formation produced the English adjective 'axenic', which in turn yields the adverb 'axenically'.

Originally formed to mean 'without foreign (organisms)', the term has retained this specialized biological sense: 'free of other living organisms' (sterile, germ-free).