'fibrinolytic' originates from Modern Latin/Neo-Latin, specifically the word 'fibrinolyticus', where 'fibrin' referred to the protein 'fibrin' and '-lytic' (from Greek 'lytikos') meant 'capable of breaking down'.

'fibrinolytic' formed by combining 'fibrin' (from French 'fibrine' and Latin 'fibra' meaning 'fiber') with the Greek-derived suffix '-lytic' (from 'lysis'/'lytikos' meaning 'loosening, dissolution'), producing a Late 19th–20th century technical term in medical/biological English.

Initially, the parts meant 'fibrin' + 'causing dissolution'; over time the combined term has remained specialized and now specifically denotes agents or actions that break down fibrin (fibrinolysis).