'spectrophotometric' originates from Neo-Latin/combination of two elements: 'spectrum' and 'photometric', where 'spectrum' came via Latin from the idea of an 'image' or 'appearance' and 'photometric' derives from Greek 'phōs/phōt-' meaning 'light' and 'metron' meaning 'measure'.

'spectrophotometric' was formed in modern scientific English by combining the prefix 'spectro-' (from 'spectrum') with 'photometric' (from 'photometry'), creating a term used in the 20th century to describe techniques and instruments for measuring light across wavelengths; the modern English form 'spectrophotometric' thus arose from this composite formation.

Initially it broadly meant 'relating to measuring light', but over time it evolved to the more specific modern meaning 'relating to measuring the intensity of light as a function of wavelength (spectrophotometry)'.