'electrochemical' originates from the combining form 'electro-' (from 'electric', ultimately from Greek 'ēlektron' meaning 'amber') plus 'chemical' (from 'chemic', related to 'alchemy', from Arabic 'al-kīmiyāʾ').

'electro-' developed in modern scientific English from 'electric' to denote electrical processes, while 'chemical' evolved from Middle English forms tied to 'alchemy'; these combined in the 19th century to form the modern English word 'electrochemical'.

Initially, it meant 'relating jointly to electricity and chemistry', and this meaning has remained consistent, now specifically tied to processes and devices in electrochemistry.