'vivisection' originates from Modern Latin and French, specifically the Modern Latin/French word 'vivisectio' / 'vivisection', where the prefix 'vivi-' (from Latin 'vivus') meant 'live' and the element '-section' (from Latin 'secare') meant 'to cut'.

'vivisection' entered English in the early 19th century via French 'vivisection' (from Modern Latin 'vivisectio'), and it developed into the standard English term 'vivisection'.

Initially, it meant 'the cutting or dissection of living animals for scientific study'; over time it has retained that primary sense but has also acquired a figurative meaning of 'a severe or clinical analysis' in broader discourse.