'neovascular' is a modern compound formed from the combining prefix 'neo-' (from Greek 'neos' meaning 'new') and 'vascular' (from Latin 'vasculum', a diminutive of 'vas' meaning 'vessel').

'vascular' entered English via Medieval Latin 'vasculum' and Late Latin/French medical usage (e.g. French 'vasculaire'), becoming 'vascular' in Modern English; 'neo-' derives from Greek 'neos' and has been used as a combining form in modern scientific and medical coinages, producing 'neovascular' as a modern English medical adjective.

The elements originally meant 'new' + 'vessel'; combined in modern medical usage the term specifically denotes 'pertaining to new blood-vessel formation,' a specialized narrowing of the literal root meanings.