'hypoalgesia' originates from Neo-Latin/modern medical formation combining Greek elements: 'hypo-' and 'algēsis', where 'hypo-' meant 'under, less than normal' and 'algēsis' (from Greek 'algos') meant 'pain'.

'hypoalgesia' was formed in modern medical/Neo-Latin usage by joining the Greek prefix 'hypo-' with the combining form 'algesia' (derived from Greek 'algos' 'pain'); the element 'algesia' entered medical vocabulary via Greek/Neo-Latin and then combined with various prefixes (e.g. 'hyper-', 'hypo-') to describe altered pain states.

Initially the Greek root related simply to 'pain' ('algos'); when combined with prefixes in medical Neo-Latin the term evolved to denote specific alterations of pain perception — in this case 'reduced sensitivity to pain', the current medical meaning of 'hypoalgesia'.