'ovulation-suppressing' originates as a Modern English compound of 'ovulation' and the present participle 'suppressing'. 'Ovulation' comes from Latin 'ovulatio', a diminutive of 'ovum' meaning 'egg'; 'suppressing' derives from 'suppress', from Latin 'supprimere' where 'sub-' meant 'under' and 'premere' meant 'to press'.

'ovulation' entered English via Neo-Latin 'ovulatio' (from Latin 'ovum' + diminutive), while 'suppress' passed into English from Old French (e.g. 'supprimer') from Latin 'supprimere'; the two elements were combined in Modern English to form the descriptive compound 'ovulation-suppressing'.

Initially the components denoted 'egg (release)' and 'to press down/hold back'; together in modern use they describe something that 'prevents or inhibits egg release'.