'lexical-retrieval' originates from Modern English as a compound of two elements: 'lexical' and 'retrieval'. 'lexical' ultimately comes from Greek 'lexis' where 'lexis' meant 'word', and 'retrieval' comes via Old French 'retrouver' where the prefix 're-' meant 'again' and 'trover' (trobar) meant 'to find'.

'lexical' developed through Latin and Medieval Latin forms related to 'lexicon' (from Greek 'lexis'), while 'retrieval' was formed from Middle English 'retrieve' (from Old French 'retrouver') plus the nominalizing suffix '-al'. The compound phrase 'lexical retrieval' emerged in 20th-century linguistics and neuropsychology literature and is often written as the hyphenated 'lexical-retrieval' in specialized contexts.

Initially the components meant 'word' (lexical) and 'to find again' (retrieve); over time the compound came to denote specifically the cognitive process of accessing words in the mental lexicon rather than a general act of finding.