'neurodivergent' originates from modern English, specifically the combination of the prefix 'neuro-' (from Greek 'neûron') meaning 'nerve' and the adjective 'divergent' (from Latin 'divergere') meaning 'to go in different directions'.

'neurodivergent' developed as an adjective from the earlier coinage 'neurodiversity' (coined in the late 20th century, c.1998) to describe individuals who exemplify neurodiversity; the term then entered wider public and clinical usage.

Initially formed to describe the condition of belonging to 'neurodiversity', it evolved into an adjective and noun applied to people and characteristics, keeping the core idea of 'differing neurological development' but gaining social and political connotations about identity and rights.