'biocompatible' originates from combining the prefix 'bio-' from Greek 'bios' meaning 'life' and the adjective 'compatible' from Latin 'compatibilis', where 'com-' meant 'together' and the root related to 'patior' meant 'to suffer/allow'.

'biocompatible' was formed in modern English by joining 'bio-' + 'compatible' (a formation common in 20th-century scientific and medical vocabulary) to describe materials that interact with living tissue without adverse effects.

Initially a literal combination meaning 'life' + 'able to exist together', it has specialized over time in biomedical contexts to mean 'not harmful to living tissue' or 'suitable for medical implants and devices'.