'gynolatry' originates from Modern English, formed from Greek elements 'gynē' and 'latreia', where 'gynē' meant 'woman' and 'latreia' meant 'worship'.

'gynolatry' was coined by combining the prefix 'gyno-' (from Greek 'γυνή') with the suffix '-latry' (from Greek 'λατρεία' via New Latin and words like 'idolatry'), resulting in the English formation 'gynolatry'.

Initially, it meant 'worship of women' and has largely retained that meaning, though it is sometimes used more broadly to indicate excessive admiration or idealization of women.