'neutralophilic' originates from Modern English, specifically a combination of 'neutral' and the Greek-derived suffix '-philic' (from Greek 'philos', meaning 'loving').

'neutral' itself comes via French 'neutre' from Latin 'neutralis'; the adjective formation using '-philic' follows patterns seen in scientific coinages such as 'acidophilic' and 'alkaliphilic', producing the modern formation 'neutralophilic'.

Initially it meant 'having an affinity for neutral conditions', and that core meaning has remained essentially unchanged in scientific usage.