'panpsychism' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'pan-' and 'psyche', where 'pan-' meant 'all' and 'psyche' meant 'soul' or 'mind'.

'Panpsychism' is a modern English formation (19th century) built from Greek roots; related ideas appear in ancient Greek philosophy (e.g. in fragments of pre-Socratic and Stoic thought) and later reappear in medieval and early modern debates about soul and matter.

Initially the idea often meant that all things possess a 'soul' in a more literal or animistic sense; over time it has come to be used more precisely in philosophy of mind to denote views that attribute mindlike or experiential properties (in various senses) to all or most entities.