'diarthrodial' originates from New Latin anatomical terminology, ultimately from Greek 'diarthrōsis,' where 'dia-' meant 'through' and 'arthron' meant 'joint,' with the English adjective-forming suffix '-ial' added.

'diarthrōsis' passed into Late/Medieval Latin as 'diarthrōsis,' then into English as the noun 'diarthrosis' (17th century), from which the adjective 'diarthrodial' developed (by the 18th–19th century).

Initially, it meant 'of a joint that permits free movement,' and this meaning remains essentially the same in modern usage.