'febrigenic' originates from Latin and Greek elements: Latin 'febris' meaning 'fever' (seen as the combining form 'febri-') and Greek-derived suffix '-genic' (from Greek 'gennan'/'genēs') meaning 'producing' or 'originating'.

'febrigenic' developed as a Neo-Latin/medical coinage combining Latin 'febris' (fever) with the Greek-based English suffix '-genic'; it appears in medical literature as a technical adjective meaning 'producing fever'.

Initially coined to mean 'producing fever' in medical contexts, the core meaning has remained consistent as a technical descriptor of fever-causing agents or processes.