'procyclicality' originates from modern English, formed from the adjective 'procyclical' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ity'. 'Procyclical' itself combines the prefix 'pro-' from Latin 'pro' meaning 'for' or 'forward', and the root 'cyclic' from Greek 'kyklos' meaning 'circle' or 'cycle'.

'procyclicality' developed from the adjective 'procyclical' (pro- + cyclical) with the addition of the English suffix '-ity' to create a noun meaning 'the state or quality of being procyclical'. The elements trace back through Medieval/Modern Latin and Greek (e.g. Greek 'kyklos').

Initially the components referred generally to 'forward' (pro-) and 'cycle' (kyklos); over time the combined English form came to mean specifically the tendency to move with economic cycles—i.e., amplifying booms and busts.