'deprogram' originates from English, specifically from the prefix 'de-' (from Latin 'de-') and the word 'program' (from Greek 'programma'), where 'de-' meant 'away, off' and 'programma' meant 'a written public notice (something written).

'program' changed from Greek word 'programma' into Latin 'programma', then into Old French 'programme' and Middle English 'programme', eventually becoming modern English 'program'; 'deprogram' was formed in modern English by adding the prefix 'de-' to 'program' and appeared in the 20th century (first in computing contexts and later in social/anti-cult language).

Initially, 'program' meant 'a written public notice' in Greek, then evolved to mean a planned sequence of actions or a set of instructions; 'deprogram' first carried a literal sense of removing a program (computing) and later developed the specialized sense 'to free someone from brainwashing/indoctrination'.