'bioinert' is a modern compound formed from the combining form 'bio-' and the adjective 'inert'. 'bio-' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'bios', where 'bios' meant 'life'. 'inert' originates from Latin 'iners', where 'in-' was a negative prefix and 'ars/ers' (via later forms) conveyed 'active' or 'skill' (overall giving 'inactive').

'inert' came into English via Latin 'iners' (meaning 'inactive') through Old French/Medieval Latin forms and Middle English; 'bio-' is a 19th-century combining form from Greek 'bios' used in modern scientific coinages. The compound 'bioinert' is a 20th-century scientific formation used in materials science and biomedical engineering.

Initially the elements meant 'life' (bio-) and 'inactive' (inert); together as a technical compound they came to mean specifically 'not interacting with living tissue' or 'producing minimal biological response' in modern materials/medical contexts.