'noesis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'νόησις' (noēsis), where the root 'νοε-' (from the verb 'νοεῖν' / 'noein') meant 'to perceive, to think'.

'noesis' entered English via Late Latin/Modern Latin philosophical usage (Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'noesis'), which in turn comes from ancient Greek 'νόησις'; the term has been used in English primarily in philosophical and theological contexts since the 17th–19th centuries.

Initially it denoted 'the activity or faculty of intellectual perception' in Greek; over time the meaning has remained broadly similar but has been specialized in philosophical traditions (e.g., Aristotelian and Husserlian usage) to refer more precisely to particular modes or acts of intellect and intentional consciousness.