'hyperplastic' originates from Greek, specifically the prefix 'hyper-' and the element 'plastic' (from Greek 'plastikos'), where 'hyper-' meant 'over, beyond' and 'plastic' meant 'molded' or 'formed'.

'hyper-' is a Greek combining form that entered English via New Latin/medical terminology, and 'plastic' comes from Greek πλαστικός (plastikos) through Latin/French into English; the compound 'hyperplastic' was formed in medical usage (late 19th to early 20th century) to describe excessive tissue growth.

Initially, 'plastic' related to molding or formation; in medical compounds like 'hyperplastic' the term came to denote 'excessive formation or growth' of tissue and has retained that technical meaning.