'coeducational' originates from Latin and English components, specifically the prefix 'co-' from Latin 'com-' meaning 'together' combined with 'educational', from Latin 'educare' meaning 'to bring up' or 'to rear'.

'coeducational' developed from the noun 'coeducation' and the earlier hyphenated form 'co-educational' used in the 19th century; over time the hyphen was dropped and the adjective became the standard modern form 'coeducational'.

Initially it meant 'pertaining to the education of males and females together,' and this core meaning has remained largely unchanged into modern usage.